Effects of Time of Intercropping of Mucuna (Mucuna cochinchinensis) in Maize (Zea mays) for Weed and Soil Fertility Management

A two years study was carried out on degraded soil at Makurdi in the southern Guinea Savanna agro-ecological zone of Nigeria in 2005 and 2006 to identify a suitable niche for the intercropping of Mucuna into maize to suppress weeds and reclaim degraded soils. Mucuna was intercropped into maize at 6 and 9 weeks after planting (WAP) and plots without Mucuna were included as control. Intercropping of Mucuna had a positive impact on the chemical properties of soil especially when it was introduced 6 WAP of maize. In 2005-2006, clay, organic matter, total N, available P and CEC were improved by 14-8, 27-25, 50-43, 70-83 and 24-26%, respectively as compared with control, whereas sand and pH (H2O) declined by 4-17 and 6-3%, respectively during these years. Intercropping of Mucuna did not significantly affect the yield and yield components of maize. Mucuna reduced weed density by 52% and 16% when introduced at 6 and 9 WAP, respectively. The study showed that degraded soil infested by weeds could be reclaimed by intercropping maize with Mucuna. The legume could be introduced six weeks after planting maize. (C) 2012 Friends Science Publishers