Effect Of Growing Cucumber With Some Leaf Vegetables And Vegetable Cowpea On Growth And Productivity

Cucumber was grown with Corchorus, Amaranthus in 2006, and in 2007, Celosias and vegetable cowpeas were included in the study. The growth and yield variables per plant of intercropped leaf vegetables and vegetable cowpea compared favourably with those grown alone. However, on per unit area basis the sole crops out-yielded the intercrops. With regards tocucumber, most of the growth and yield variables were not affected by the companion crops. The intercrops produced the best yield advantage over the sole crops of either cucumber or the intercropped vegetables. Cucumber-based intercropping pattern grown with vegetables generallygave the land equivalent ratios which were higher than the sole crop of Cucumber. The mixture productivity as represented by land equivalent ratio, showed that higher benefits can be derived from growing cucumber and either Corchorus or Amaranthus, than growing the component cropsalone. Cucumber grown with Corchorus consistently produced the best land productivity for the two-year trial. The positive response in intercropping obtained in 2007 was similar to that obtained in 2006