Abstract
In order to determine how the growth indices of intercrop species in an intercropping system are influenced by certain factors, field trials were conducted at Institute for Agriculture Research (IAR) farm at Samaru, Zaria during the wet seasons of 2004, 2005 and 2006. The treatments tested consisted of maize and cowpea intercrops with two forms of crop arrangement (intra-row and inter-row), four different crop proportions (1C:1M, 3C:1M, 1C:3M and 2C:2M Cowpea: Maize) and two row arrangements (single-row and paired-row) in factorial combinations. These treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The crop varieties used were: maize-TZPBSR and cowpea-SAMPEA-6. Crop arrangement significantly affected the rate of growth of the two component crops. The relative growth rate (RGR) and crop growth rate (CGR) measured at 6-8, and 8-10 weeks after sowing (WAS) were higher under the inter-row crop arrangement in maize by 23 and 22.6% respectively on the average relative to those under the intra-row crop arrangement. The 3:1 and 2:2 (cowpea: maize) crop proportions had higher RGR and CGR values. The 3:1 (cowpea: maize) crop proportion in the single row arrangement produced higher growth rates of cowpea than under any of the other arrangements. In relation to the yield parameters which were measured later, the rate of growth in relation to the productivity of maize/cowpea intercropping system could be determined by using the indices of relative growth rate (RGR) and crop growth rate (CGR) particularly at the later stages of growth of the two crops. Indices of crop growth were generally higher for the components when they were grown under the single-row and inter-row arrangements.
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