Shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) intercropping systems in northern Ghana: Effect of cultural practices and crop combinations on the performance of shea seedlings

The effects of cultural practices including twomethods of land preparation (conventional and zero-tillage), five intercrop sequences and two levels of NPK fertilizers on shea seedling growth (girth and height) were evaluated in a split-split plot experiment at Bole from 1984 to 1986. Conventional tillage significantly promoted seedling growth over zero-tillage (pre-planting herbicide application). Shea seedlings intercropped with rotations involving cowpea and maize such as cowpea-yam-maize and maize-cowpea-sorghum, were relatively bigger and taller than those intercropped with rotations that did not involve cowpea and maize. There was a positive residual effect of NPK fertilizers applied to the food crops on shea seedling growth especially on ploughed and harrowed land whereas there was no effect of zero tillage. (Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science, 1996, 29(2): 3-8)