Effect Of Intercropping With Acacla Senegal On Crop Yields And Certain Soil Properties In Adegraded

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted over two seasons (2006/2007 and 2007/2008 ) at Tozi forest reserve in Abu Hugar governorate, Sennar State, Sudan with the objective of evaluating the effect of agroforestry inter planting on crop yields of sorghum, sesame and groundnut and indicated the effect on certain soil cheracteristics. The experiment compared the effects of inter cropping three traditional rain fed crops (ground nuts, sesame, sorghum) with in Acacia senegal gum gardens with sole cropping of the same crops. Treatments were: sole cropping, inter cropping at 4x4 m tree spacing, intercropping at 4x8m tree spacing. Randomized complete block design with four replications was adopted. The following crop parameters were measured: plant height, root length, number of leaves per plant, days to 50% flowering, crop yield/ha, gum yield /tree. Certain soil parameters were also determined e.g. total nitrogen and organic carbon, PH, bulk density, p, Ca, K, Na & Mg. The results indicated increased crop yields under inter cropping. This increase could be attributed to the increased soil fertility and shelter under Acacia senegal trees. Although gum yield was decreased in inter cropped plots, yet the land equivalent ratio was positive due to the high crop yields relative to sole cropping.