Evaluation de la réponse du maïs (Zea mays L.) installé entre les haies de Tithonia diversifolia à Lubumbashi, R.D. Congo

Assessment of the response of maize (Zea mays L.) planted between hedgerows of Tithonia diversifolia in Lubumbashi, DR Congo

Objective: Two trials were carried out over time at the Centre de Recherche Agroalimentaire (CRAA) and aimed at evaluating the behavior of maize cultivation in hedgerows of Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower).

Methodology and results: The experimentation design was a completely randomized, the distances from maize planting lines to the T. diversifolia hedge are the treatments to know, L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5 respectively comprising 5; 0.75; 1.5; 2.25; 1.5 and 0.75m interspersed in four corridors representing repetitions. A biomass of Tithonia diversifolia was distributed as mulch at the 28th day after sowing in the corridors of the second year. The observations focused on the parameters of maize growth and production.

The T. diversifolia hedge in the first year of installation as an influence on the behavior of maize. The last two years, the results were obtained under the effect of dependence on all plant parameters. Maize plants between hedgerows showed low growth compared to those outside hedge corridors Nevertheless, an opposite trend is observed on studied yield parameters except the weight of 1000 grains of maize.

Conclusion and Application: The results obtained in this study show that alley cropping has a depressive effect on corn production, the last is improved when the biomass of the hedge is pruned and used as mulch. Therefore, treatment L3 (2.25m to the hedge) would be recommended to increase production.

Keywords: Hedge, mulch, maize, Tithonia diversifolia, Lubumbashi