Evaluation of growth and yield of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.Walp) cultivars and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) with their competitive behavior in cowpea-sorghum intercropping.

The need to increase cowpea production solve the menace of malnutrition is a global challenge and land limitations have also made intercropping indispensable. Field trials were carried out at Teaching Research Farm, Kwara State University, Malete, National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM) Idofian evaluate growth yield cultivars sorghum with their competitive behavior in cowpea-sorghum intercropping. Five (IITA-256, IITA-277, VITAL-5, IT98K-491-4, IITA-288) intercropped sorghum. Sole crops included treatments as check. arranged Randomized Complete Block Design replicated three times. Among sole, vital-5 cultivar had highest number branches pods per plant more seeds pod compared other cultivars. recorded grain 591.30 kg/ha 530.00 respectively, Malete NCAM sole. At intercrop, IITA-288 significantly least took longer days attain flowering lowest intercrop was obtained this cultivar. Sorghum par sole all parameters. IITA-256 maximum Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), Coefficient (LEC), Vital-5 Regardless location, ratio (CR) values IITA-256, higher than aggressivisity, (A) these positive negative Although, demonstrated advantages efficient utilization natural resources superior could be adopted by farmer.