The inland valleys (IVs) have the potential of growing three crops in sequence within a year without supplemental irrigation. Considerable opportunity exists for growing the third crop between main crop and dry season cropping. This is a niche that has not been exploited. Field experiments were conducted at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria in 2000–2003 to determine the growth and yield performance of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in lowland rice–upland rice–fallow, lowland rice–upland rice–cowpea [Vigna unguculata (L.) Walp], and lowland rice–upland rice–vegetable sequences in an IV. Lowland rice–upland rice–fallow, lowland rice–upland rice–cowpea, lowland rice–upland rice–okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.), lowland rice–upland rice–amaranth (Amaranth cruentus), lowland rice–fallow–fallow, lowland rice–fallow–cowpea, lowland rice–fallow–okra, and lowland rice–fallow–amaranth sequences, which ran concurrently constituted a cropping cycle. The first, second, and third crops in all the cropping cycles were planted in May, October and January, respectively. The grain yields of preceding lowland rice in the various sequences with or without upland rice were similar. The preceding lowland rice variety BW 311‐9 enhanced the height and grain yield performance of upland rice. The grain yields of the two upland rice varieties in the existing niche were similar in the three‐crop sequence but substantially lower than the obtainable yield in an upland ecology. Upland rice crop could be grown in between the lowland rice and vegetable/cowpea without reducing the yields of lowland rice and vegetable. Inclusion of upland rice in the sequence decreased the overall benefit/cost ratio of triple cropping. Thus, two‐crop sequence, which is currently being practiced by the traditional farmers, should be adhered to, until a suitable crop or technology is identified.
The technical possibility of triple cropping in inland valleys is not in doubt but economic and agronomic performance of ratooned and upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) fitted in-between lowland rice and dry season cropping need to be ascertained. A field experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria in 2007/2008/2009 cropping season to compare the performance of sowing methods. Dry dibble broadcast, pre-germinated broadcast, dry dibble, transplanted and pre-germinated broadcast methods of early maturing New Rice for Africa 1 (NERICA 1) upland rice were compared with ratooned crop of New Rice for Africa Lowland rice (NERICA-L) genotypes (NERICA-L 20, NERICA-L 26, NERICA-L 44, NERICA-L 41 and OFADA) in the niche between lowland rice and dry season cropping. The first crop was planted in May while the second and third were in September and December. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. The mean plant height, grains panicle -1 , panicles m -2 , 1000-grain weight and grain yield of lowland rice varieties were 126.5 cm, 220, 173, 29.3 g, and 7.75 t ha -1 , respectively. The ratooned lowland rice flowered earlier (28-37 days) than the upland rice sowing methods (66-77 days). Ratooned crops of NERICA-L 20, NERICA-L 26 and NERICA-L 44 had highest number of panicles m -2 and grain yield while pre-germinated dibble upland rice and ratooned crop of OFADA had the least panicles m -2 and grain yield, respectively. Transplanted upland rice and pre-germinated broadcast methods had better grain yield than any of the sowing methods of upland rice. The fresh leaf weight of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) ranged between 14.59 and 19.77 t ha -1 . Ratooned crops had better agronomic and economic performance than the upland rice. Hence the productivity of triple cropping in the inland valley could be efficiently utilized by adopting ratooning lowland rice.
Field experiment was conducted at the Federal cropping seasons to investigate the effects of cowpea varieties on succeeding of maize crop. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design and the treatment replicated three times. The main plot treatment was sprayed and unsprayed cowpea (Vigna unguculata L.) while variety constituted the subplot treatment (IT90K-76, IT90K-277-2, Drum, Olo, Oloyin, Mallam and Sokoto varieties). Maize variety cv TZESR-W was planted as the test crop in the early cropping season of 2005, 2006 and 2007 on each subplot of the preceding cowpea. The biomass of cowpea in the spray plots were higher than those of unsprayed at 8, 10 WAP in 2004. Olo variety had significantly lower biomass compared to others in 2004. The grain yield of cowpea from the sprayed plots was significantly higher than the unsprayed plots in all the years. IT90K-76 variety had the highest grain yield whereas Mallam and Drum had the lowest in all the years. Maize grain yields from the preceding cowpea plots were significantly higher than that of 0 N kg/ha. The fertilizer equivalent of the preceding varieties of cowpea ranges between 24 and 38 N kg/ha. Thus, preceding cowpea enhances the performance of succeeding maize.
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