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WATERMELON INTERCROPPED WITH CEREALS UNDER SEMI-ARID CONDITIONS: AN ON-FARM STUDY

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2012

P. MUNISSE ,
B. D. JENSEN ,
O. A. QUILAMBO ,
S. B. ANDERSEN  and
J. L. CHRISTIANSEN
P. MUNISSE
Affiliation:
Agriculture Research Institute of Mozambique, Av. FPLM 2698, Maputo, Mozambique
B. D. JENSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
O. A. QUILAMBO
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Eduardo Mondlane University, POB 257, Maputo, Mozambique
S. B. ANDERSEN*
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
J. L. CHRISTIANSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture and Ecology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
*
Corresponding author: Email: sba@life.ku.dk
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Summary

Intercropping is a common practice in Africa, but the advantage compared to sole cropping depends on the crop plants and local agro-ecological conditions. The potential of intercropping maize (Zea mays) or sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) with watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) was tested in two on-farm trials in southern Mozambique under semi-arid conditions in an area with low and unpredictable rainfall. In the first experiment, plant density, yield and monetary value of sole and intercropping plots of maize with watermelon were determined in 17 farmers' fields in an area where all crops developed to maturity and harvest. There was a significant reduction in yield of both maize (28.8%) and watermelon (57.8%) in the intercrop compared with the sole crop yields. However, the mean land equivalent ratio of 1.13 for yield showed that intercropping had advantages as, on average, an area planted with sole crops would require 13% more land than an intercrop production to generate the same outcome. In the second experiment, carried out in another area with 16 farmers' fields, drought was more pronounced and only watermelon developed to maturity. Intercroppings with maize and sorghum resulted in 70% and 69% yield reduction, respectively. In conclusion, watermelon is a good companion crop for intercropping with cereals to mitigate the risk of total crop failure due to drought.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 48 , Issue 3 , July 2012 , pp. 388 - 398
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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