Yield performance of the maize-cowpea intercropping system in relation to the soil moisture availability

Abstract

The soil moisture availability is essential to the growth and development of plants, mainly under nonirrigated cropping systems, where the yields are dependent on the rain spatial and temporal variability. The objective of the present work was to evaluate crop yields and water efficiency use of a maize–cowpea intercropping system in response to the soil moisture availability. The experiment was carried out in the Experimental Area of Embrapa Middle-North, at Teresina municipality, Piauí State, Brazil (05°05’S; 42°48’W and 74.4 m). Soil moisture availability levels were obtained by a line source sprinkler irrigation system. The grain productivity of maize and cowpea in response to soil water availability was reduced in the intercropping system as compared to the individual crops.