Abstract
Field experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata ) density (0, 15 or 30 plants/m 2 ) and sowing date (15 days prior to maize sowing or simultaneously with maize), and of maize ( Zea mays ) planting density (7.5 or 9 plants/m 2 ) on weed biomass and maize crop yield. Results showed that increasing the maize density from 7.5 to 9 plants/m 2 reduced the weed biomass by 21.5%. Furthermore, cowpea acted as a living mulch, reducing weed biomass by up to 45.5% and 39.6% when intercropped with maize at a density of 7.5 and 9 plants/m 2 , respectively. Under weed‐free conditions, an increase in maize density from 7.5 to 9 plants/m 2 resulted in maize grain yield increasing from 8.92 to 9.40 t/ha; however, the addition of cowpea only increased the maize grain yield by about 4.2%, on average, under these conditions. By contrast, under weed‐infested conditions, there was a large decrease in maize grain yield (up to 32%), but intercropping with cowpea reduced this to only a 16% decrease. Under weed‐free conditions, there was no effect of sowing date on maize grain yield; however, under weed‐infested conditions, yield was greater on the second sowing date. Thus, it is concluded that the planting of maize at a density of 9 plants/m 2 and simultaneously intercropping with cowpea at a density of 30 plants/m 2 could be an appropriate control measure for weed suppression.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing maize density reduced weed biomass by 21.5%.
- Treatment
- 9 plants/m 2e0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- weed biomasse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 21.5%e0
- Comparator
- 7.5e0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“increasing the maize density from 7.5 to 9 plants/m 2 reduced the weed biomass by 21.5%”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea mulch reduced weed biomass by up to 45.5% at the lower maize density.
- Treatment
- cowpeae0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Second interactor
- cowpea
Vigna unguiculatae0weed - Outcome
- weed biomasse0
- Direction
- reducinge0
- Value
- 45.5%e0
- Qualifier
- 7.5e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“cowpea acted as a living mulch, reducing weed biomass by up to 45.5% and 39.6% when intercropped with maize at a density of 7.5 and 9 plants/m 2 , respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea mulch reduced weed biomass by 39.6% at the higher maize density.
- Treatment
- cowpeae0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Second interactor
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatae0weed
- Outcome
- weed biomasse0
- Direction
- reducinge0
- Value
- 39.6%e0
- Qualifier
- 9 plants/m 2e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“cowpea acted as a living mulch, reducing weed biomass by up to 45.5% and 39.6% when intercropped with maize at a density of 7.5 and 9 plants/m 2 , respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher maize density raised weed-free grain yield from 8.92 to 9.40 t/ha.
- Treatment
- 9 plants/m 2e0
- Outcome
- maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasinge0
- Value
- 9.40 t/hae0
- Qualifier
- 8.92e0
- Comparator
- 7.5e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under weed‐free conditions, an increase in maize density from 7.5 to 9 plants/m 2 resulted in maize grain yield increasing from 8.92 to 9.40 t/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea increased maize yield by about 4.2% under weed-free conditions.
- Treatment
- cowpeae0
- Interactor
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatae0other
- Outcome
- maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 4.2%e0
- Qualifier
- under these conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the addition of cowpea only increased the maize grain yield by about 4.2%, on average, under these conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Weed infestation decreased maize grain yield by up to 32%.
- Treatment
- weed‐infested conditionse0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- maize grain yielde0
- Direction
- decreasee0
- Value
- 32%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“under weed‐infested conditions, there was a large decrease in maize grain yield (up to 32%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Cowpea intercropping limited the weed-related maize yield decrease to 16%.
- Treatment
- intercropping with cowpeae0
- Interactor
- cowpeaVigna unguiculatae0other
- Outcome
- 16% decreasee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 16%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“intercropping with cowpea reduced this to only a 16% decrease”
t0“maize ( Zea mays )”
Claim · model-written summary
Sowing date did not affect weed-free maize grain yield.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Under weed‐free conditions, there was no effect of sowing date on maize grain yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Under weed infestation, maize yield was greater on the second sowing date.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“under weed‐infested conditions, yield was greater on the second sowing date”
t0“maize ( Zea mays )”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend dense maize planting simultaneous with cowpea intercropping for weed suppression.
- Treatment
- simultaneously intercropping with cowpea at a density of 30 plants/m 2e0
- Interactor
- weede0weed
- Outcome
- weed suppressione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“planting of maize at a density of 9 plants/m 2 and simultaneously intercropping with cowpea at a density of 30 plants/m 2 could be an appropriate control measure for weed suppression”
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See all 269 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.