EFFECTS OF INTERCROPPING SOYBEAN ( GLYCINE MAX) AND MORINGA OLEIFERA ON THE SOIL, GROWTH AND YIELD OF THE COMPONENT CROPS IN ABUJA, GUINEA SAVANNAH ZONE OF NIGERIA

ABSTRACT The trials carried out to evaluate the performance of Glycine max and Moringa Toleifera under inter cropping situation and their effect on soil properties in Abuja, using a Randomized Complete Block Design with 3 replications, showed that the soil in the area had a pH value of 5.20 prior to planting in 2014. This decreased slightly in 2015 to pH 6.5 in sole cropped plot of Glycine max in Glycine/Moringa inter cropped plots. Total nitrogen was significantly (p<0.05) reduced after the first cropping season (0.03%) but was significantly (p<0.05) improved after the second trial (0.07 %), in 2015. Sodium was drastically reduced from 0.90 Cmol¹ to 0.38 Cmol¹ in Glycine max/ Moringa inter cropped plots of 50,000 stands of Glycine and 10,000 stands of Moringa oleifera in 2015. In 2014, the seed yield of soybean was not significantly (p>0.05) influenced by Moringa intercropping but in 2015, the seed yieldof Glycine max in the inter crop plots was 30 % greater than that obtained from the sole crop plot. Highest seed yield (0.68 tha¹) of Glycine max was obtained from inter crop plot of 50,000 Soybean stands + 10,000 stands of Moringa oleifera. Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) was maximum in the inter cropping system of 50,000 stands of soybean and 10000 stands of Moringa plants with 23 % and 68% more yield in 2014 and 2015 than the sole crop yields of both crops. The relationship between the two plants as assessed by Land Equivalent Coefficient (LEC) was cordial and complementary.