Effect of Striga hermonthica on the Growth Characteristics of Sorghum Intercropped with Groundnut Varieties

Abstract Field experiments were conducted in 1996 and 1997 on a Striga‐infested field to determine the effect of Striga on the growth characteristics of sorghum intercropped with groundnut varieties (RMP‐12, Yarkasa and Ex‐Dakar). The performance of the intercropped sorghum was significantly better than that of the monoculture in terms of plant height, dry matter, leaf number and leaf area index. Intercropping of sorghum with RMP‐12 resulted in a significant suppression of Striga compared to other groundnut varieties. The dry matter yield of sorghum intercropped with groundnut was significantly higher than that of the sorghum monocrop. The dry matter yield resulting from intercropping of sorghum with the RMP‐12 groundnut variety was significantly higher than that of sorghum intercropped with all other varieties of groundnut.