Effect of sowing time on peanut yield in intercropping with maize

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in a site located in the Commune of Lac Ndumba of Sud Ubangi Province in DR Congo, with the objective of determining, in the practice of the "Peanut–Maize" intercropping system, the optimal sowing moment for each species to achieve peanut satisfactory yields. To achieve this, the experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications and five treatments derived from different sowing times in the intercropping system: Simultaneous sowing of maize and peanuts (T1), Sowing peanuts two weeks after maize (T2), Sowing maize two weeks after peanuts (T3), Sowing peanuts four weeks after maize (T4) and Sowing maize four weeks after peanuts (T5). Based on peanut pod yield, the results of these treatments ranked is descending order were:  T5 (704.7 kg/ha), T1 (637.7 kg/ha), T3 (513.3 kg/ha), T2 (447.3 kg/ha) and T4 (285.7 kg/ha). These results indicate that peanut pod yield is strongly influenced by its sowing time in the maize-peanut intercropping system and the maximum yield being achieved when maize is sown 4 weeks after peanut (T5). Conversely, yield is significantly reduced when peanut is sown 4 weeks after maize (T4). Thus, since the farmers' goal is to achieve satisfactory yields, the optimal strategy in the study area is to sow peanut earlier than or simultaneously with maize to maximize its yield.

Keywords: Peanut, pods, Maize, Intercropping, Yield