Study on the Effect of Seedbed Types, Urea Fertilizer Rates and Intercropping of Sorghum with Legumes on Striga Incidence

Sorghum is important for its grain as food, animal feed, seeds and brewing local bear. Its stalks are used for shelter, animal feed and at times as source of sugar. This study was performed at Damazin Research Station, Damazin, (Latitude 11°47’34N, longitude 34°21’55 E) and approximately 343.01 meters above sea level (MSL) for two consecutive seasons of 2006/07 and 2007/08. There were three different types of seed beds used. namely, flat (control 1); normal ridged and tied ridged in a Striga infested field trial. The aim of this study to test for the incidence of witch weed (Striga spp.) and performance of sorghum under the different treatments. The procedures were carried out: two rates of urea fertilizers applied at 103.5 and 207.0 kg/ha; four leguminous plants namely, Bambara nuts, (Vigna subterranea L. Verdc.; Groundnuts, (Arachis hypogoea L.); Clitoria, (Clitoria ternatea); and Desmodium spp.) were intercropped with sorghum, Sorghum bicolor L. Moench (cv. Wad Ahmed) and a sole sorghum without any treatment (control 2) were compared for their effect on Striga population at 8 and 12 weeks after sorghum emergence (WASE); Striga dry weight at harvest; sorghum height and sorghum grain and straw yield. The results showed that standard ridged seedbeds effectively reduced Striga population and dry weight. Clitoria spp., among the legumes intercropped with sorghum, reduced sorghum height significantly, and the application urea fertilizers regardless of the rates used, increased sorghum grain yield as well as Striga population.