evaluation of promiscuous soybean varieties for agronomic and grain quality traits in maize

153 Pages·2017·2.08 MB·English

EVALUATION OF PROMISCUOUS SOYBEAN VARIETIES FOR AGRONOMIC
AND GRAIN QUALITY TRAITS IN MAIZE/SOYBEAN INTERCROPPING
SYSTEMS IN KENYA

HABINEZA MPUNGA JEAN PIERRE
A56/83093/2015
BSc. Agronomy, University of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo

A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
AGRONOMY, UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

2017
DECLARATION
This thesis is my original work has not been published earlier in any other higher institution.
Habineza Mpunga Jean Pierre………………………………...Date…………
Supervisors
Dr. Josiah Kinama (PhD)
Department of Plant Science and Crop protection
University of Nairobi
Sign:……………………………………………………………………..Date………….
Prof. Florence Olubayo
Department of Plant Science and Crop protection
University of Nairobi

Sign……………………………………………………………………..Date………….
Dr. Susan Wanderi
Field Supervisor KALRO EMBU
Sign:……………………………………………………………………..Date………….

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DEDICATION
To my lovely wife Asifiwe Ntasi Brigitte, my children Atukuzwe Mpunga
Ornella, Uwase Mpunga Odile and my parents Mpunga Damien and Esperance
Mukabutera.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
My acknowledgement is addressed to the God who kept me during all this period of studies
healthy. Hallowed be your name. I would like also to give my deepest appreciation to my
supervisors; Dr. Josiah Kinama, Prof. Florence Olubayo and Dr. Susan Wanderi, for their
advices, guidance and attention during the period of this study. I am also very grateful to Dr.
Kimani for his technical and moral support at KALRO Mwea. The encouragement, support
and unconditional friendship given by James Gichuki, Daniel, and Elosy is further
aknowlegded. All my classmates, Dorcas Kagwirya, Godfray Kayira, Jadidha, Betris and
Mahath for the good collaboration. All my brothers and sisters of ANP hostel, Alfred,
Richard Kataliko, Heritier, Eric, Ruphine, Mamy Kampogoje for good cohabitation and good
collaboration. I am grateful to Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa for giving me full
scholarship that enabled me to pursue my MSc. in Agronomy Studies at University of
Nairobi. I wish to sincerely thank the coordinators of our scholarship. I am also grateful to the
University of Goma staff beginning with the Rector Prof. Segihobe Bigira Jean-Paul and the
Dean of the faculty of Agronomy, Msc. C.T Sylvestre Ruremesha Kinyata, for the confidence
given to me in order to continue with MSc. Studies. I am also very grateful to those who are
not quoted in this thesis, while they gave contribution for the achievement for it in different
manner.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ........................................................................................................................ i
DEDICATION ........................................................................................................................... ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ....................................................................................................... iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................................... iv
LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... x
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................... xiii
LIST OF EQUATIONS .......................................................................................................... xiv
LIST OF ABREVIATION AND ACRONYMS ..................................................................... xv
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... xvii
CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................ 1
1.0 GENERAL INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Problem statement and Justification of the study ............................................................. 2
1.3 Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 5
1.3.1 Broad objective .......................................................................................................... 5
1.3.2 Specific objectives .................................................................................................... 6
1.3.3 Hypothesis ................................................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................................... 7
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2.0 LITTERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................................. 7
2.1 Production of soybean in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and in Kenya ................................ 7
2.2 General overview on intercropping system ...................................................................... 7
2.3 Intercropping system profits............................................................................................. 8
2.4 Weed control .................................................................................................................... 8
2.5 Pest and diseases control .................................................................................................. 9
2.6 Soil erosion control .......................................................................................................... 9
2.7 Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) in cereal-legume intercropping system .................. 9
2.8 Transfer of nitrogen in cereal intercropped with legume ............................................... 11
2.9 Residual effects of cereal-legume cropping system ....................................................... 11
2.10 Maturity of the crops .................................................................................................... 13
2.11 Compatible crops.......................................................................................................... 13
2.12 Plant density ................................................................................................................. 13
2.13 Time of planting ........................................................................................................... 14
2.14 Promiscuous soybeans and its importance ................................................................... 15
2.15 Nodulation formation ................................................................................................... 15
2.16 Effect of intercropping on productivity and Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) ................ 16
2.17 Effect of intercropping on grain quality ....................................................................... 16
2.18 Disadvantage of intercropping ..................................................................................... 17
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CHAPTER THREE ................................................................................................................. 18
3.0 SELECTION OF THE MOST SUITABLE PROMISCUOUS SOYBEAN VARIETY
FOR INTERCROPPING WITH MAIZE ................................................................................ 18
3. 1 Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 18
3.2 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Materials and Methods ................................................................................................... 20
3.3.1 Study area description ............................................................................................. 20
3.3.2 Climate..................................................................................................................... 21
3.3.3 Soil ........................................................................................................................... 21
3.3.4 Experiment design and layout ................................................................................. 22
3.3.3 Management of the experiment ............................................................................... 23
3.3.4 Data collection ......................................................................................................... 23
3.4 Results ............................................................................................................................ 28
3.4.1 Soybean germination ............................................................................................... 30
3.4.2 Soybean plant height ............................................................................................... 31
3.4.3 Days to 50 % flowering and 75 % maturity for soybean ......................................... 32
3.4.4 Soybean shattering score ......................................................................................... 33
3.4.5 Nodulation of soybean per plant .............................................................................. 34
3.4.6 Number of pods per plant for soybean .................................................................... 35
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3.4.8 One hundred grain weight for soybean.................................................................... 37
3.4.9 Soybean biomass ..................................................................................................... 38
3.4.11 Soybean harvest index ........................................................................................... 40
3.4.12 Land Equivalent Ratio ........................................................................................... 41
3.4.13 Germination rate, plant height, days to 50 % flowering and Days to 75% to
maturity for Maize ............................................................................................................ 44
3.4.14 One hundred grain weight, biomass per plant and yield for Maize ....................... 45
3.4.15 Maize harvest index ............................................................................................... 46
3.4.2 Weather data during the experiment duration Long rain 2016 ................................ 48
3.5 Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 49
3.5.1 Growth paramaters .................................................................................................. 49
3.5.2 Production parameters ............................................................................................. 55
3.6 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................... 65
CHAPTER FOUR .................................................................................................................... 66
4.0 EFFECT OF INTERCROPING MAIZE - SOYBEAN ON SOIL FERTILITY AND
GRAIN QUALITY TRAITS ................................................................................................... 66
4.1 Abstract .......................................................................................................................... 66
4.2 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 68
4.3 Materials and Methods ................................................................................................... 69
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4.3.1 Sites characteristics .................................................................................................. 69
4.3.2 Soil collection and analysis ..................................................................................... 70
4.3.3 Grain size ................................................................................................................. 73
4.3.4. Crude protein determination ................................................................................... 74
4.3.5. Crude oil determination .......................................................................................... 75
4.3 Results ............................................................................................................................ 76
4.4.1 Soil analysis before planting.................................................................................... 76
4.4.2 Effects of intercropping maize – soybean on soil fertility ....................................... 77
4.4.2 Effects of intercropping maize – soybean on grain size .......................................... 88
4 .4.3 Effects of intercropping Maize-soybean on protein and oil content ...................... 95
4.5 Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 99
4.5.1 Effects of intercropping maize – soybean on soil fertility ....................................... 99
4.5.2 Effects of intercropping maize – soybean on grain size ........................................ 104
4 .5.3 Effects of intercropping Maize-soybean on protein, oil content and dry matter .. 105
4.6 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 106
CHAPTER FIVE .................................................................................................................. 107
5.0 GENERAL DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............... 107
5.1 General discussion........................................................................................................ 107
5 .2 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 113
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5.3 Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 114
References .............................................................................................................................. 115

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