Effects of Mungbean / Melon/maize Intercrop on the Growth and Yield of Mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) Cultivated in Owerri Rainforest Area

Growth and yield of mungbean as sole crop was compared with that of mungbean intercrop with melon and maize. The experiment was conducted during May - August, 2008 in the Teaching and Research Farm, Imo State University, Owerri. The treatments were sole mungbean (control), mungbean/melon intercrop, mungbean/maize intercrop and mungbean/melon/maize intercrop. Mungbean seeds were planted at spacing of 30cmx30cm in each plot; melon and maize seeds were planted in the intercrop plots at spacing of 50cmx50cm and 1mx1m, respectively.. Results showed that sole mungbean produced the highest mean plant height (20.7 cm), number of leaves (16.7) at 4 WAP. Also, sole mungbean recorded the highest mean number of root nodules (17.7), number of pods (6.5) and seed yield (45.1 Kgha ). However, observations in these parameters were not 1 significantly different (p<0.05) from that of mungbean in mungbean/melon intercrop, but were significantly different (p<0.05) from that of mungbean in mungbean/maize intercrop, while there could have been 'mutual co- operation' of mungbean with melon. It was concluded that melon can serve as compatible component in intercropping system involving mungbean.