Global Journal of Science Frontier Research, D: Agriculture and Veterinary, Volume 21 Issue 7

Figure 2: Illustration of the experimental design. MwRP: Maize with Rice straw combined with Peanut; MfRP: Maize free of rice Straw combined with Peanut; MwRC: Maize with Rice straw combined with Cowpea; MfRC: Maize free of Rice straw combined with Cowpea; MwRMb: Maize with Rice straw combined with Mung bean; MfRMb: Maize free of Rice straw combined with Mung bean; MwLf: Maize with Rice straw and Legume-free; MfLf: Maize free of rice straw and Legume-free f) Implementation Seedbed preparation consisted of ploughing to a depth of 15 to 20 cm, then crumbling with a hoe. The drip irrigation lines were installed was set up following the soil preparation. Planting operations were by hand. Maize was planted on February 13 at 0.8 m row spacing and 0.2 m inter-hills spacing at a seeding rate of two seeds per hill, followed by an emergence seedling thinning to one plant/hill. Cowpea, groundnut, and mung bean were planted two weeks after maize in the inter- row area at a rate of two seeds/hill for cowpea and mung bean and one seed/hill for groundnut. Cowpea and mung bean were planted at 40 cm spacings and groundnut at 20 cm spacings. Other operations such as weeding, fertilization, and irrigation were carried out jointly to maintain the crops. Hoe weeding was carried out on the 14 th , 29 th , and 44 th day after planting (DAP) and manual weeding on the 60 th DAP. Organic fertilization consisted of applying cattle manure before ploughing by spreading. The mineral fertilization, i.e., the application of chemical fertilizers, was carried out following the technical itinerary of maize. The NPK fertilizer (14-23-14) was applied at 200 kg/ha on the 15 th DAP. Urea (46%) was applied in two fractions. The first dose of urea (100 kg/ha) was applied on the 30 th DAP, and the second dose (50 kg/ha) was applied on the 45 th DAP. The water was applied by drip irrigation to meet the water needs of the main crop, maize (60 to 65 m 3 ), according to Millogo et al. (2021). g) Data collection and statistical analysis For soil moisture determination, soil samples were taken for three strati of 0 to 10 cm, 10 to 20 cm, and 20 to 30 cm. Soil sampling was done following the diagonal of each plot, and 03 specific locations were identified for these samples. For each stratus, a composite sample was taken and transported to the laboratory. Samples of 200 g wet weight were put in the oven at 105°C for 48 hours. Samples were collected on the 7 th , 21 st , 35 th, and 49 th DAP. The soil moisture was determined after drying the samples in the oven. The moisture content was calculated using equation one below in Table 1. Rice straw cover was evaluated in a 1 m 2 sample placed randomly on the diagonal of each plot. It was estimated as a percentage at the 14 th , 29 th, and 44 th DAP. The parameter was assessed using a visual rating scale ranging from 1 (no cover) to 9 (complete cover) as described by Marnotte (1984). Measurement of growth parameters of maize plants included plant height and crown diameter. Plant height was measured on 06 randomly selected plants (Kouelo et al., 2017) in the plot at the 15 th , 30 th , 45 th , and 60 th DAP. This height was measured from the collar to the ligule of the last well- developed leaf of the plant. The collar diameter was measured on six randomly selected plants (Kouelo et al., 2017) for height measurements using a caliper at the 15 th , 30 th , 45 th, and 60 th DAP. Several maize yield components were measured at maturity: 1,000-grain weight, grain yield, number of grains/ears (calculated from the number of radius/ear and the number of grains/radius), number of ears, straw yield, and stalk weight. All the plots' maize plants were cut at the crown level at 124 DAP for the measurements. The ears were harvested, then dried and shelled by hand. The seeds were weighed using an electronic balance. The values were extrapolated to the hectare (kg/ha) according to formula number 2 (Table 1). After shelling, the stalks were weighed and extrapolated to one hectare using formula number 3 (Table 1). The weight of 1,000 grains was by manually counting 1,000 grains and then weighing using an electronic scale. The number of ears of maize was by direct counting of all the ears of maize in the plot and © 2021 Global Journals 1 Global Journal of Science Frontier Research Volume XXI Issue VII Year 2021 4 ( D ) Version I Effects of Cereal-Legume Intercropping and Mulching on Maize ( Zea Mays L.) Productivity in Dry Season using Drip Irrigation in South-Sudanian Climatic Zone of Burkina Faso