Sorghum/chickpea intercropping trial at Morogoro, Tanzania.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) was intercropped with uninoculated or inoculated chickpea (Cicer arietinum) at varied soil fertility levels in a field experiment using a randomized block design. Chickpea was inoculated with a commercial inoculant (Nitrogerm-chickpea) under three levels of soil fertility: (a) no fertilizer (control), (b) 20 kg N/ha as ammonium sulfate, and (c) 20 kg N/ha plus 100 kg P/ha as ammonium sulfate and triple superphosphate, respectively. Nodulation, dry matter, and N content of chickpea were examined at various stages of growth. Results indicated the absence of indigenous rhizobia for chickpea. Inoculation significantly increased dry matter and N content of chickpea, but failed to cause a significant grain yield increase. Intercropping greatly decreased the dry matter content and grain yield of chickpea but had no effect on yield of sorghum