Evaluation of Sowing Methods of Upland and Ratooned Rice Planted in-between Lowland Rice-Fluted Pumpkin Sequence in Derived Savannah

The technical possibility of triple cropping in inland valleys is not in doubt but economic and agronomic performance of ratooned and upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) fitted in-between lowland rice and dry season cropping need to be ascertained. A field experiment was conducted at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria in 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 cropping season to compare the performance of sowing methods. Dry dibble broadcast, pre-germinated broadcast, dry dibble, transplanted and pre-germinated broadcast methods of early maturing New Rice for Africa 1 (NERICA 1) upland rice were compared with ratooned crop of New Rice for Africa Lowland rice (NERICA-L) genotypes (NERICA-L 20, NERICA-L 26, NERICA-L 44, NERICA-L 41 and OFADA) in the niche between lowland rice and dry season cropping. The first crop was planted in May while the second and third were in September and December. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates. The mean plant height, grains panicle-1, panicles m-2, 1000-grain weight and grain yield of lowland rice varieties were 126.5 cm, 220, 173, 29.3 g, and 7.75 t ha-1, respectively. The ratooned lowland rice flowered earlier (28-37 days) than the upland rice sowing methods (66-77 days). Ratooned crops of NERICA-L 20, NERICA-L 26 and NERICA-L 44 had highest number of panicles m-2 and grain yield while pre-germinated dibble upland rice and ratooned crop of OFADA had the least panicles m-2 and grain yield, respectively. Transplanted upland rice and pre-germinated broadcast methods had better grain yield than any of the sowing methods of upland rice. The fresh leaf weight of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook F.) ranged between 14.59 and 19.77 t ha-1. Ratooned crops had better agronomic and economic performance than the upland rice. Hence the productivity of triple cropping in the inland valley could be efficiently utilized by adopting ratooning lowland rice.