Assessment of the effects of NPK fertilizer on edible yield and agro-biological parameters in a cowpea–amaranth intercrop

Vista sencilla de ítem
dc.creatorMndzebele, B.
dc.creatorNcube, B.
dc.creatorFessehazion, M.
dc.creatorMabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe
dc.creatorModi, Albert Thembinkosi
dc.date2023-10-24
dc.date2023-11-30T22:16:35Z
dc.date2023-11-30T22:16:35Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T18:43:50Z
dc.descriptionIntroduction: Estimates indicate that food and nutritional demand in sub-Saharan African nutrient-poor soils will exceed the high population demand. Vegetables such as amaranth and cowpea are key in contributing to food and nutritional security. Fertilizers are used to mitigate low nutrient levels in soils. This study aimed to investigate the yield parameters of cowpea and amaranth vegetables. Methods: The experiment was designed with a 2 × 4 factorial treatment structure in a completely randomized design, with intercropping and fertilizer level as treatment factors and with four replications. Results and discussion: The biomass of amaranth and cowpea increased with increased fertilizer application up to the level of 100% nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer. A measure of land utilization showed values greater than one. Crop comparison showed that cowpea was more aggressive, had higher actual yield loss, and was highly competitive compared to amaranth. More income could be obtained from intercropping. The research shows the benefits of fertilizer application in improving the biomass of amaranth and cowpea. Overall, the application of NPK fertilizer at levels up to 100%, based on the results of this study, resulted in higher biomass accumulation and improved intercropping indices.
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/134896
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/163908
dc.languageen
dc.publisherFrontiers Media
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourceMndzebele, B.; Ncube, B.; Fessehazion, M.; Mabhaudhi, Tafadzwanashe; Modi, A. T. 2023. Assessment of the effects of NPK fertilizer on edible yield and agro-biological parameters in a cowpea–amaranth intercrop. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 7:1210984. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1210984]
dc.subjectnpk fertilizers
dc.subjectcowpeas
dc.subjectamaranthus
dc.subjectintercropping
dc.subjectcrop yield
dc.subjectcropping systems
dc.subjectyield losses
dc.subjectparameters
dc.subjectfood security
dc.subjectnutrition security
dc.subjectbiomass
dc.subjectnitrogen fertilizers
dc.subjectphosphate fertilizers
dc.subjectpotassium
dc.subjectland use
dc.titleAssessment of the effects of NPK fertilizer on edible yield and agro-biological parameters in a cowpea–amaranth intercrop
dc.typeJournal Article

Archivos

Colecciones

Instituto Internacional para el Manejo del Agua (IWMI)