Effects Of Intercropping Amaranth With Common Beans, Green, Grams, And Cowpeas On The Growth And Grain Yield Of Amaranth In Kitui Central Sub County

Abstract

Amaranth is an important crop owing to its highly nutritious grains and leaves. The leaves have high vitamins and calcium levels while grains are rich in proteins. Amaranth flour is used to fortify other flours due to its highly digestible proteins. Some industrial and medicinal properties have also been associated with amaranth leaves and grains. Green grams, common beans, and cowpeas are important sources of proteins from plant. This makes them cheap and valuable substitutes for meat and other animal proteins. In this study, amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus), KAM 01 was intercropped with green gram (Vigna radiata) N-26, common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) KB9, and cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) M66 to compare and establish their effect on the growth and grain yields of amaranth. Pure stands of amaranth and the three legumes were also established for purposes of comparison. The study was carried out during the March-May rainy season of the year 2017. Randomized complete block design (RCBD); replicated four times was used to test treatment combinations. Treatment means were differentiated at 95% confidence (P