ABSTRACT
This field experiment was conducted in the Experimental Field of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City, to ascertain some soil properties and agronomic performance of Egusi – Melon (Citrullus cococynthis L. Kuntze) and Velvet bean (Mucuna utilis L.) in monoculture and intercrop. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three levels of treatment and three replicates. Soil samples were collected before and after experiment for determination of parameters: pH, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Total Nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, hydrogen aluminum, sand, silt and clay. Also plant parameters like stem girth, number of leaves, vine length, weight of 100 grains and yield were also determined. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance and Duncan Multiple Range Test was used to separate means at 5% level of significance. Results shows that soils in the study area were generally acidic, dominated by sand fraction and belong to the loamy sand textural class. Also, available phosphorus (10.87mg/kg), potassium (0.21cmol/kg), calcium (0.67cmol/kg) and magnesium (0.17cmol/kg) contents were significantly reduced to 10.37mg/kg, 0.17cmol/kg, 0.60cmol/kg and 0.17cmol/kg respectively in the velvet bean + egusi melon intercrop at 5% level of significance. The total nitrogen content was significantly increased from 0.74g/kg in the soil before experiment to 1.01g/kg in the sole velvet bean plot at 5% level of significance. The nutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) content of velvet bean and egusi melon grains were not significant (P<0.05) affected by intercropping. But the yield of both velvet bean and egusi melon were reduced by intercropping.
