EFFECTS OF PLANTING PATTERN ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SESAME (SESAMUM INDICUM L.) AND SOYBEAN (GLYCINE MAX L.) INTERCROP IN SUDAN SAVANNA, NIGERIA

Sesame based intercrops are often grown at arbitrary planting pattern in the Sudan savanna of Nigeria. Low output in terms of grain and herbage yields were probably due to ineffective exploitation of resource complementarity in space. Hence, the study was conducted in Maiduguri, Nigeria to determine the effects of planting pattern on the growth and yield of sesame-soybean intercrop. Split plot design was used with four planting patterns of sesame to soybean in alternate rows of 1:1, 1:2, 2:1 and 2:2 assigned to the main plot and replicated three times. Four Bradyrhizobia rates (0, 5, 10, and 15 g/kg seeds) were assigned to the subplot. Sesame and soybean agronomic characters and grain yield advantages were determined. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and difference between treatments means were compared using least significant difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. The findings revealed that there was no significant effects of planting patterns on sesame height, 1000 grain weight and grain yield for combined mean. However, significantly higher number of capsules per plant were produced at 2:2 planting pattern than the other planting patterns. Soybean number of pods per plant and grain yield were greater at 2:2 and 2:1 planting patterns, respectively where soybean had the least relative competitive ability. Land equivalent ratio and monetary advantage were greater at 2:1 and 2:2 than 1:1 and 1:2 planting patterns. Thus, 2:2 alternate inter-row arrangement of sesame with soybean was ideal for optimizing the special complementarity and realization of higher grain and cash returns among the planting patterns in Sudan savanna of Maiduguri, Nigeria.