Authors : I.M. Ojeifo , M.A. Jolaoso and I.O.O. Aiyelaagbe
Abstract: The benefit of intercropping in the nursery is yet to receive the necessary research attention. Three experiments were conducted to determine the effect of intercropping watermelon at various spacings with citrus rootstock seedlings in the nursery. The yields of watermelon grown in mixture with the citrus seedlings, where significantly different. Watermelon suppressed the growth of weeds under all the cropping systems involving watermelon and the development of the companion citrus seedlings at very narrow spacing of 1x0.5 m and 1x1 m. The girth of citrus rootstock grown in such narrow spacings, were reduced significantly by about 24%. The intercrop of watermelon at 2 mx1 m consistently produced the best yields in the three trials, followed by 2x2 m and was followed by 4x2 m. Generally, these spacings did not affect the growth of the companion citrus seedlings. The study showed that intercrop at the spacings of 2x1, 2x2 and 4x2 m are beneficial and tolerable range of growing watermelon in association with citrus rootstock seedlings before budding.
I.M. Ojeifo , M.A. Jolaoso and I.O.O. Aiyelaagbe , 2007. Intercropping Citrus Rootstock Seedlings with Watermelon in the Nursery. Agricultural Journal, 2: 55-59.