Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Pineapple in a Pineapple-Pepper-Cowpea Intercropping System

The effects of time of sowing cowpea into pineapple-pepper intercrop on growth and yields of pineapple in a pineapple-pepper-cowpea based intercropping system was investigated in the rainy and late seasons of 2011 and 2012 at two locations in Akure, a humid rainforest zone of Nigeria. The experiments which were based on additive series of intercropping system were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Experimental treatments were based on varying time (at 3 weeks intervals) of sowing cowpea into pineapple-pepper intercrop in addition to the sole crops of cowpea, pepper and pineapple. The pineapple growth indices were not influenced significantly by the intercropping. Relatively higher fruit yield was obtained with delayed cowpea introduction of cowpea into the pineapple-pepper intercrop. However, significantly lower pineapple fruit yield (12.8 t/ha) was obtained when cowpea was sown simultaneously at pepper transplanting while fruit yields declined between 70-73 % of sole pineapple and when cowpea was sown at 3, 6 and 9 WAT for the rainy season crop. The decline in fruit yields ranged between 18-39 % when cowpea was sown simultaneously with pepper for the late season crop.