ABSTRACT
This field experiment was conducted in the Experimental field of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Benin City, to ascertain the physical and chemical properties of soil and agronomic performance of Egusi melon (Colocynthis citrullus) and Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) 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, aluminium, 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 available phosphorus (14.41 mg/kg), potassium (0.21 cmol/kg), calcium (0.54 cmol/kg) and magnesium (0.39 cmol/kg) contents were significantly reduced to 12.23 mg/kg, 0.18 cmol/kg, 0.42 cmol/kg and 0.28 cmol/kg respectively at 5% level of significance in the intercrop. The total nitrogen content was significantly increased from 0.63 g/kg in the soil before experiment to 0.80 g/kg in the sole kidney bean plot at 5% level of significance. Furthermore, the soils in the area were generally acidic in nature and belong to the loamy sand textural class. The nutrient content (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) of kidney bean and egusi melon grains were not significantly (P<0.05) affected by intercropping. But the yield of both kidney bean and egusi melon were reduced by intercropping.
