Effect of intercropping maize and promiscuous Soybean on growth and yield.

An study was carried out in Kenya to assess the suitab
ility of three promiscuous soybean varieties
(SB19, GAZELLE and TGX1990-5F) intercropped with Mai
ze (Duma 43). A randomised complete
block design was used replicated three times with seven
treatments. The arrangement of
intercropping was 1:1. Data collection included germina
tion %, plant height, days to 50% flowering,
days to 75% maturity, yield biomass per plant, 100 g
rain weight, grain yield, harvest index and Land
Equivalent Ratio for both crops. Shattering score,
pods per plant, and seeds per pod for soybean
only. Data were subjected to ANOVA and means separated
using LSD
0.05
. The results showed that
the earliest variety to 50% flowering and 75% maturi
ty was SB19 (
p
≤
0.05) followed by GAZELLE
while the latest variety was TGX1990-5F. Intercropping
did not affect days to 50% flowering, days to
75% maturity and seeds per pod. Variety TGX1990-5F wa
s resistant to pod shattering while others
were moderately resistant. TGX1990-5F recorded the hi
ghest plant height, pods per plant, soybean
biomass, grain yield and LER while GAZELLE had highe
r HI and SB19 recorded higher seeds per pod in sole crop and in intercrop in both sites and rai
ny seasons. Intercropping reduced soybean
plant height, pods per plant, soybean yield biomass, so
ybean grain yield and soybean HI in both
sites and seasons. LER showed advantage between compone
nt crops in both seasons.TGX1990-
5F was suitable promisuous soybean variety for intercr
opping with maize because it had good
perfomance under intercropping compared to others.