WEED POPULATION DYNAMICS AND CROP YIELD IN CASSAVA BASED INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS AT BADEGGI, CENTRAL NIGERIA

The experiment was conducted at the lowland experimental field of National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi (Latitude 9º45’N, Longititute 60º7’E, ALT 70.57 m above sea level) in the southern Guinea savannah zone of Nigeria. The trial was conducted in the year 2011, 2012 and 2013 with aim of determine the influence of legume intercrop on weed growth and the productivity of cassava. The cassava/legume intercropping trial was laidout in a Randomized Complete Block Design and replicated three times. The treatments were the intercropping of cassava with velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), soybean (Glyxine max), hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus) and Jointvetche (Aeschynomene histrix) and sole cassava. The plot size was 13.5 m × 5 m. The result revealed that legume intercropped with cassava reduced weed density and weed dry matter though varies among the legumes in the intercrop. Higher weed smothering percentage was observed in cassava/mucuna intercrop. There was significant effect of legume intercrop on cassava plant height. Sole cassava produced higher tuber yield. Among the intercrops cassava cowpea gave maximum yield hence is best for intercropping.