Abstract
ABSTRACT The rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations, soil micro-environment and crop growth during the late-season cropping of 2002 and 2003 in south-western Nigeria were studied by assessing the effects of melon grown in monoculture or in mixed stands with maize or cassava. Melon was sown on 28 August, 11 September and 25 September 2002, and on 20 September and 4 October 2003. Intercropping did not reduce the growth and yields of maize or cassava, but of melon irrespective of the sowing date. Melon seed yield and yield components were generally reduced by 18–66 and 8–31% in mixed stands with maize and cassava, respectively. The rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations, growth and seed yield of melon and soil moisture content were generally enhanced by early sowing compared with late sowing of melon in both cropping systems. Late sowing led to greater melon seed yield reduction than early sowing in monocropping or intercropping systems, with greater effect occurring in intercropping in both years. Number of fruits per plant, seeds per fruit and seed yield of melon were significantly reduced by 12–52, 10–75 and 10–67% by late sowing in monoculture, mixed stands with maize and mixed stands with cassava, respectively. Intercropping with melon decreased soil temperature by 3.6–10.4 °C and soil bulk density by 0.09–0.16 g cm3, and increased soil moisture content by 12–45 g kg1and the rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations of maize by 10–20% and cassava by 38–46%, with early sowing showing greater effects than late sowing. Land equivalent ratios were greater than 1, irrespective of the crop combination and sowing date of melon in both years. However, increased mixture productivity of 46–55 and 69–75% in maize/melon and cassava/melon mixtures, respectively, was obtained by early sowing of melon, without a negative effect on maize grain and cassava root tuber yields. Conclusively, intercropping provided favourable soil micro-environment and increased the rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations of maize and cassava and total crop productivity, but this depended on sowing date of melon.
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Claims 17
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping did not reduce maize or cassava growth and yields.
- Taxon
- maize or cassava
Manihot esculenta
Zea mayse0 - Treatment
- Intercroppinge0
- Outcome
- growth and yieldse0
- Direction
- did not reducee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.


Verbatim
e0“Intercropping did not reduce the growth and yields of maize or cassava, but of melon irrespective of the sowing date.”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping reduced melon growth and yields regardless of sowing date.
- Taxon
- melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- Intercroppinge0
- Outcome
- growth and yieldse0
- Direction
- reducee0
- Qualifier
- irrespective of the sowing datee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Intercropping did not reduce the growth and yields of maize or cassava, but of melon irrespective of the sowing date.”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize mixed stands reduced melon seed yield and components by 18–66%.
- Taxon
- Melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- mixed stands with maizee0
- Outcome
- seed yield and yield componentse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 18–66e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Melon seed yield and yield components were generally reduced by 18–66 and 8–31% in mixed stands with maize and cassava, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Cassava mixed stands reduced melon seed yield and components by 8–31%.
- Taxon
- Melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- mixed stands with cassavae1
- Outcome
- seed yield and yield componentse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- 8–31%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Melon seed yield and yield components were generally reduced by 18–66 and 8–31% in mixed stands with maize and cassava, respectively.”
e1“Number of fruits per plant, seeds per fruit and seed yield of melon were significantly reduced by 12–52, 10–75 and 10–67% by late sowing in monoculture, mixed stands with maize and mixed stands with cassava, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early sowing enhanced melon rhizosphere fungal and bacterial populations.
- Taxon
- melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- early sowinge0
- Outcome
- rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populationse0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Comparator
- late sowinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“The rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations, growth and seed yield of melon and soil moisture content were generally enhanced by early sowing compared with late sowing of melon in both cropping systems.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early sowing enhanced melon growth and seed yield.
- Taxon
- melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- early sowinge0
- Outcome
- growth and seed yield of melone0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Comparator
- late sowinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“The rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations, growth and seed yield of melon and soil moisture content were generally enhanced by early sowing compared with late sowing of melon in both cropping systems.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early melon sowing enhanced soil moisture.
- Taxon
- melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- early sowinge0
- Outcome
- soil moisture contente0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Comparator
- late sowinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“The rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations, growth and seed yield of melon and soil moisture content were generally enhanced by early sowing compared with late sowing of melon in both cropping systems.”
Claim · model-written summary
Late sowing reduced melon seed yield more than early sowing, especially in intercropping.
- Taxon
- melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- Late sowinge0
- Outcome
- melon seed yielde0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Qualifier
- greater effect occurring in intercropping in both yearse0
- Comparator
- early sowinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Late sowing led to greater melon seed yield reduction than early sowing in monocropping or intercropping systems, with greater effect occurring in intercropping in both years.”
Claim · model-written summary
Late sowing significantly reduced melon fruit number, seeds per fruit and seed yield across cropping systems.
- Taxon
- melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- late sowinge0
- Outcome
- Number of fruits per plant, seeds per fruit and seed yielde0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- in monoculture, mixed stands with maize and mixed stands with cassavae0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Number of fruits per plant, seeds per fruit and seed yield of melon were significantly reduced by 12–52, 10–75 and 10–67% by late sowing in monoculture, mixed stands with maize and mixed stands with cassava, respectively.”
Claim · model-written summary
Melon intercropping lowered soil temperature by 3.6–10.4 °C.
- Taxon
- melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- Intercropping with melone0
- Outcome
- soil temperaturee0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 3.6–10.4 °Ce0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Intercropping with melon decreased soil temperature by 3.6–10.4 °C and soil bulk density by 0.09–0.16 g cm3”
Claim · model-written summary
Melon intercropping lowered soil bulk density by 0.09–0.16 g cm3.
- Taxon
- melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Treatment
- Intercropping with melone0
- Outcome
- soil bulk densitye0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 0.09–0.16 g cm3e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Intercropping with melon decreased soil temperature by 3.6–10.4 °C and soil bulk density by 0.09–0.16 g cm3”
Claim · model-written summary
Melon intercropping raised soil moisture by 12–45 g kg1.
- Treatment
- Intercropping with melone0
- Outcome
- soil moisture contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 12–45 g kg1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Intercropping with melon decreased soil temperature by 3.6–10.4 °C and soil bulk density by 0.09–0.16 g cm3, and increased soil moisture content by 12–45 g kg1and the rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations of maize by 10–20%”
Claim · model-written summary
Melon intercropping increased maize rhizosphere fungal and bacterial populations by 10–20%.
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“increased soil moisture content by 12–45 g kg1and the rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations of maize by 10–20% and cassava by 38–46%, with early sowing showing greater effects than late sowing.”
Claim · model-written summary
Melon intercropping increased cassava rhizosphere fungal and bacterial populations by 38–46%.
- Taxon
- cassava
Manihot esculentae0 - Outcome
- rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populationse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 38–46%e0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“increased soil moisture content by 12–45 g kg1and the rhizosphere fungi and bacterial populations of maize by 10–20% and cassava by 38–46%, with early sowing showing greater effects than late sowing.”
Claim · model-written summary
Land equivalent ratios exceeded 1 for all crop combinations and sowing dates.
- Taxon
- melon
Cucumis meloe0 - Outcome
- Land equivalent ratiose0
- Direction
- greater thane0
- Value
- 1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Land equivalent ratios were greater than 1, irrespective of the crop combination and sowing date of melon in both years.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early melon sowing increased maize/melon mixture productivity by 46–55%.
- Taxon
- maize/melon
Cucumis melo
Zea mayse0 - Treatment
- early sowing of melone0
- Outcome
- mixture productivitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 46–55e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)

Verbatim
e0“increased mixture productivity of 46–55 and 69–75% in maize/melon and cassava/melon mixtures, respectively, was obtained by early sowing of melon, without a negative effect on maize grain and cassava root tuber yields.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early melon sowing increased cassava/melon mixture productivity by 69–75%.
- Taxon
- cassava/melon
Cucumis melo
Manihot esculentae0 - Treatment
- early sowing of melone0
- Outcome
- mixture productivitye0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 69–75%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)

Verbatim
e0“increased mixture productivity of 46–55 and 69–75% in maize/melon and cassava/melon mixtures, respectively, was obtained by early sowing of melon, without a negative effect on maize grain and cassava root tuber yields.”
The same questions in other papers
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See all 269 papers →8 of 9 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
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.