Infleunce of agroforestry system on growth and yield of sorghum, sesame and roselle intercropped with acacia senegal (l.)‎ Willd in North Kordofan State, Sudan

Abstract EN

This study examined the effects of intercropping with Acacia senegal (L.) Willd on growth and yield of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.), sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and roselle (Hibiscus sabdar).

Field experiments were conducted in El- Obeid Research farm (Lat.

130 10 N; Long.

300 12 E), North Kordofan State, Sudan, during 2002-2003 in an 11year-old A.

senegal plantation.

The experimental design was randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replicates.

Data were recorded for plant height (cm), fresh weight (kg\ha), dry weight (kg\ha), crop yield (kg\ha) and gum yield (kg\ha).

Land Equivalent Ratios (LER) and simple financial analyses of gross surpluses were used to evaluate the productivity and profitability of the different treatments.

The results indicated that A.

senegal trees had a beneficial effect on crop performance and yield.

Significant differences (P<0.05) were obtained for plant height, fresh weight, dry weight and crop yield.

Therefore, yield of sorghum, sesame and roselle under intercropping system was 13.7, 23.8 and 20.9% higher, respectively than that obtained in the sole cropping system.

The highest yield increase was observed with sesame (23.8 %).

All the treatments gave land equivalent ratio (LER) of more than one - indicating the superiority of growing the field crops in intercropping over the sole cropping systems.

The highest LER of (3.8) was obtained for sesame intercropped with A.

senegal (Hashab) and followed by (3.7) when sorghum was intercropped with A.

senegal and (3.3) when roselle intercropped with A.

senegal.

All the treatments gave positive net revenues, the highest being for intercropping with sorghum (558 SDG\ha).

The intercropping of roselle gave the second net revenue (518 SDG\ha), while the sole sorghum gave the lowest net revenue (501 SDG\ha).

KEYWORDS:Sorghum bicolor,Acacia senegal, Agroforestry system, Sesamum indicum, Hibiscus sabdarifia, Semi-arid enviroment, Sudan