INTERACTION EFFECT OF CROPPING SYSTEM AND SEEDTREATMENTS WITH PARKIA BIGLOBOSA PULP POWDER ON STRIGA CONTROL AND YIELD OF SORGHUM (SORGHUM BICOLOR)

Abstract

Sorghum is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world after rice, wheat, maize and barley grown in arid and semi-arid parts of the world (FAO, 2016). Sorghum productivity faces constraints that limit its yielding potential. The constraints include pest, weed competition, N-deficiency, Striga, drought, soil fertility depletion among others (Orr et al., 2016). An objective of this experiment was to determine effectiveness of intercropping system and seed treatments in integrated management of Striga hermonthica in sorghum. Field trial was conducted in two growing seasons at the Striga infested Research Farm of Federal University of Technology, Minna The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. During the investigation in two sorghum ( resistance and susceptible ) which involved intercropping with soyabean, seed treatment with Parkia biglobosa pulp, these were found to reduce the infestation of sorghum by Striga hermonthica. The results showed that the effect of shading by soyabean, putative allelopathic mechanism effect of parkia material showed some benefits against S. hermonthica infestation. Growth of Striga hermonthica was almost completely suppressed and yield increased with the resistant sorghum intercropped with soyabean, primed at 66 l/g parkia .