Rubber and plantain intercropping: Effects of different planting densities on soil characteristics.
Two field experiments were conducted at Ellembelle and Jomoro districts in the Western region of Ghana where rubber cultivation is a predominant farming activity. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of rubber and plantain intercropping systems on selected soil properties. The experim...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2019-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209260 |
| _version_ | 1819016599131127808 |
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| author | Erasmus Narteh Tetteh Akwasi Adutwum Abunyewa Henry Oppong Tuffour Joseph Nketiah Berchie Patricia Pinamang Acheampong Kwame Twum-Ampofo Evans Dawoe Vincent Logah Olivia Agbenyega Stella Ama Ennin Isaac Nunoo Caleb Melenya Eric Owusu Danquah Victor Rex Barnes Samuel Tetteh Partey |
| author_facet | Erasmus Narteh Tetteh Akwasi Adutwum Abunyewa Henry Oppong Tuffour Joseph Nketiah Berchie Patricia Pinamang Acheampong Kwame Twum-Ampofo Evans Dawoe Vincent Logah Olivia Agbenyega Stella Ama Ennin Isaac Nunoo Caleb Melenya Eric Owusu Danquah Victor Rex Barnes Samuel Tetteh Partey |
| author_sort | Erasmus Narteh Tetteh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Two field experiments were conducted at Ellembelle and Jomoro districts in the Western region of Ghana where rubber cultivation is a predominant farming activity. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of rubber and plantain intercropping systems on selected soil properties. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications. The treatments were the sole crop rubber (R), sole crop plantain (P) and three intercrop systems comprising an additive series of plantain: one row of plantain to one row of rubber (PR), two rows of plantain to one row of rubber (PPR) and three rows of plantain to one row of rubber (PPPR). Generally, agroforestry systems improved the soil hydraulic properties considerably, with the highest cumulative infiltration rates of 5.16 and 8.68 cm/min observed under the PPPR systems at the Ellembelle and Jomoro sites, respectively. Microbial biomass C (Cmic), N (Nmic) and P (Pmic) was significantly improved (P < 0.05) under the agroforestry than the monocrop systems. The Cmic, Nmic and Pmic values were highest under the PPPR system at both Ellembelle (Cmic, = 139.9 mg/kg; Nmic = 36.26 mg/kg and Pmic = 87.6 mg/kg) and Jomoro (Cmic = 78.7 mg/kg; Nmic = 80.3 mg/kg and Pmic = 3.45 mg/kg) sites. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:50:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5c420041e55249a49b0e85fabfed8963 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T02:50:11Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-5c420041e55249a49b0e85fabfed89632022-12-21T19:18:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032019-01-01141e020926010.1371/journal.pone.0209260Rubber and plantain intercropping: Effects of different planting densities on soil characteristics.Erasmus Narteh TettehAkwasi Adutwum AbunyewaHenry Oppong TuffourJoseph Nketiah BerchiePatricia Pinamang AcheampongKwame Twum-AmpofoEvans DawoeVincent LogahOlivia AgbenyegaStella Ama EnninIsaac NunooCaleb MelenyaEric Owusu DanquahVictor Rex BarnesSamuel Tetteh ParteyTwo field experiments were conducted at Ellembelle and Jomoro districts in the Western region of Ghana where rubber cultivation is a predominant farming activity. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of rubber and plantain intercropping systems on selected soil properties. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications. The treatments were the sole crop rubber (R), sole crop plantain (P) and three intercrop systems comprising an additive series of plantain: one row of plantain to one row of rubber (PR), two rows of plantain to one row of rubber (PPR) and three rows of plantain to one row of rubber (PPPR). Generally, agroforestry systems improved the soil hydraulic properties considerably, with the highest cumulative infiltration rates of 5.16 and 8.68 cm/min observed under the PPPR systems at the Ellembelle and Jomoro sites, respectively. Microbial biomass C (Cmic), N (Nmic) and P (Pmic) was significantly improved (P < 0.05) under the agroforestry than the monocrop systems. The Cmic, Nmic and Pmic values were highest under the PPPR system at both Ellembelle (Cmic, = 139.9 mg/kg; Nmic = 36.26 mg/kg and Pmic = 87.6 mg/kg) and Jomoro (Cmic = 78.7 mg/kg; Nmic = 80.3 mg/kg and Pmic = 3.45 mg/kg) sites.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209260 |
| spellingShingle | Erasmus Narteh Tetteh Akwasi Adutwum Abunyewa Henry Oppong Tuffour Joseph Nketiah Berchie Patricia Pinamang Acheampong Kwame Twum-Ampofo Evans Dawoe Vincent Logah Olivia Agbenyega Stella Ama Ennin Isaac Nunoo Caleb Melenya Eric Owusu Danquah Victor Rex Barnes Samuel Tetteh Partey Rubber and plantain intercropping: Effects of different planting densities on soil characteristics. PLoS ONE |
| title | Rubber and plantain intercropping: Effects of different planting densities on soil characteristics. |
| title_full | Rubber and plantain intercropping: Effects of different planting densities on soil characteristics. |
| title_fullStr | Rubber and plantain intercropping: Effects of different planting densities on soil characteristics. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rubber and plantain intercropping: Effects of different planting densities on soil characteristics. |
| title_short | Rubber and plantain intercropping: Effects of different planting densities on soil characteristics. |
| title_sort | rubber and plantain intercropping effects of different planting densities on soil characteristics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209260 |
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