Page 47 - EER-2-3

Explora: Environment
and Resource Maize–pigeon pea intercropping in Ghana

Table 2. Maize growth parameters – height (cm), leaf area (cm²), fresh leaf biomass (g), and dry leaf biomass (g) – in pigeon
pea‑maize intercrop and sole maize systems during the major and minor 2023 seasons in Fumesua, Ghana
Trait Cropping system Fertilizer Season Mean SD SE Rank CV
Plant height (cm) MPP FR Major 183.333 27.429 15.836 a, b, and c 0.150
FR Minor 188.600 10.800 6.235 a, b, and c 0.057
HR Major 171.667 4.041 2.333 a, b, and c 0.024
HR Minor 183.733 12.232 7.062 a, b, and c 0.067
NF Major 165.667 6.028 3.480 a and b 0.036
NF Minor 183.200 11.459 6.616 a, b, and c 0.063
NPP FR Major 186.333 12.897 7.446 a, b, and c 0.069
FR Minor 201.733 5.991 3.459 c 0.030
HR Major 183.000 1.732 1.000 a, b, and c 0.009
HR Minor 199.800 6.264 3.617 b and c 0.031
NF Major 155.000 8.660 5.000 a 0.056
NF Minor 190.667 10.576 6.106 b and c 0.055
Estimated leaf area (cm ) MPP FR Major 3,344.000 1,111.367 641.648 a and b 0.332
2
FR Minor 5,971.227 1,262.122 728.687 b and c 0.211
HR Major 2,444.833 722.885 417.358 a 0.296
HR Minor 6,222.638 854.590 493.398 b and c 0.137
NF Major 2,531.600 656.660 379.123 a 0.259
NF Minor 5,248.935 1,299.948 750.525 a, b, and c 0.248
NPP FR Major 3,324.267 1,606.432 927.474 a and b 0.483
FR Minor 9,751.329 2,250.264 1,299.190 d 0.231
HR Major 2,832.987 1,044.594 603.096 a and b 0.369
HR Minor 7,609.492 451.322 260.571 c and d 0.059
NF Major 2,377.856 488.550 282.064 a 0.205
NF Minor 5,462.927 840.269 485.129 a, b, and c 0.154
Fresh leaf biomass (g) MPP FR Major 15,614.993 1,767.147 1,020.263 a 0.113
FR Minor 25,158.700 6,642.259 3,834.910 b 0.264
HR Major 13,638.263 2,818.075 1,627.017 a 0.207
HR Minor 19,418.467 1,210.187 698.702 a and b 0.062
NF Major 13,558.767 1,453.365 839.101 a 0.107
NF Minor 11,699.450 3,185.983 1,839.428 a 0.272
NPP FR Major 16,528.237 2,614.294 1,509.363 a 0.158
FR Minor 25,605.358 11,597.683 6,695.926 b 0.453
HR Major 14,281.808 2,982.279 1,721.820 a 0.209
HR Minor 22,687.292 10,530.918 6,080.028 b 0.464
NF Major 14,851.900 4,626.948 2,671.370 a 0.312
NF Minor 11,164.533 2,197.746 1,268.869 a 0.197
Dry leaf biomass (g) MPP FR Major 6,692.140 757.349 437.256 a 0.113
FR Minor 10,782.300 2,846.682 1,643.533 b 0.264
HR Major 5,844.970 1,207.747 697.293 a 0.207
HR Minor 8,322.200 518.652 299.444 a and b 0.062
NF Major 5,810.900 622.871 359.615 a 0.107
NF Minor 5,014.050 1,365.421 788.326 a 0.272
NPP FR Major 7,083.530 1,120.412 646.870 a 0.158
FR Minor 10,973.725 4,970.436 2,869.682 b 0.453
HR Major 6,120.775 1,278.120 737.923 a 0.209
HR Minor 9,723.125 4,513.250 2,605.726 a and b 0.464
NF Major 6,365.100 1,982.978 1,144.873 a 0.312
NF Minor 4,784.800 941.891 543.801 a 0.197
Note: Means with the same alphabet ranking are not significantly different from each other.
Abbreviations: CV: Coefficient of variation; FR: Full rate of recommended fertilizer; HR: Half rate of recommended fertilizer; MPP: Maize–pigeon pea;
NF: No fertilizer; NPP: No pigeon pea/sole maize; SD: Standard deviation; SE: Standard error.

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 6 doi: 10.36922/EER025130026