




































In ternationa l
Scholars
Journa ls

 

African Journal of Environmental Economics and Management ISSN 2375-0707 Vol. 3 (2), pp. 218-220, 
February, 2015. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals 

 

Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. 

 
 

Short Communication 
 

An investigation on the income accruing to sorghum-
rice enterprise in response to the most profitable 

mixture combination for adoption by farmers 
 

*Bayo Paul1, Bolanle Akiolu2 and Yemi Philips2
 

 
1
Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Oyo State, Nigeria. 

2
Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. 

 

Accepted 22 January 2015 
 

Multiple cropping offers farmers the opportunity to engage nature’s principles of diversity on farms. A field trial 
that was conducted in Nigeria, investigated the yield and economic returns that accrued to sorghum and rice; in 
sorghum – rice intercrop as affected by rice inclusion in the proportions: 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4, respectively for 
sorghum and rice. Analysis of yield data for both cropping seasons revealed significant influence of sorghum – 
rice intercrop on grain yields of sorghum and rice in mixtures. Observed average sorghum yield in sole plot was 
1712.39 kg ha

-1
, which was progressively significantly decreased with progressive inclusion of rice rows from 

1050.58 kg ha
-1

 (38.65 % yield reduction) in 1:1 sorghum – rice mixture to 300.35 kg ha
-1

 (82.46% yield reduction) in 
1:4 sorghum – rice mixture; while grain yields of sorghum decreased with progressive rice inclusion, grain yields 
of rice increased per hectare with progressive increase in rice rows from 1:1 to 1:4. Considering the economic 
implication of intercropping sorghum with rice, income that accrued to sole crops was significantly reduced with 
intercropping. While all the crop combinations investigated performed better than sole cropped sorghum (in terms 
of revenue generation), sole rice performed better than all the intercrops. The implication of this observation is that 
while sorghum is better intercropped with rice to improve revenue generation, rice is best as sole crop. In 
conclusion, in sorghum – rice intercrop, intercropping at 1:4 is recommended as this mixture gave best intercrop 
result in respect to monetary return relative to other mixtures. 

 
Key words: Intercropping, monetary returns, multiple cropping. rice, sorghum, yield. 

 
 
Introduction 
 
The deepening need for increasing productivity on 
farmers’ plots in the African continent will be met through 
better understanding of crop environment, particularly as 
it regards to multiple cropping systems, which offer 
farmers the opportunity to engage nature’s principles of 
diversity on farms. By combining crops of different 
growing periods, varying heights and varying uses, 
African farmers have evolved highly diversified cropping 
systems (Okigbo and Greenland, 1976; Steiner, 1982). 
 
 
 

 
*Corresponding Author E-mail: bayopaul@yahoo.com 

 
 
 

 
However, spatial arrangements of crops, sowing rates 
and crop maturity date are important considerations when 
planning these multiple cropping systems (Sulivan, 2010). 
Generally, the rationale of intercropping lies in its 
beneficial effects. Besides allowing the farmer to grow 
various crops on a piece of land without necessarily 
preparing another land, an insurance against total crop 
failure, helping in the control of erosion, pests and 
diseases, it provides the farmer a variety of crops, thus 
improving his dietary intake (Kassam, 1972; Steiner, 
1982; Langdale et al., 1992) and securing farmers 
income. Besides combined yield advantage that may 
come with multiple cropping, farmers should also be 
interested in the economic implication of the system they 



          Bayo et al.           218 
 
 

 
Table 1. Average yield implication of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and rice (Oryza sativa L) intercrop as influenced by varying mixture proportion. 

 
 Treatment   Intercrop Effect on Crop Yield   

   Sorghum   Rice  

 Sorghum: Average Intercrop implication Percentage yield Average Intercrop implication Percentage yield 
 Rice grain yield relative to sole crop reduction relative to grain yield relative to sole crop reduction relative to 

  (kg ha
-1

) (kg ha
-1

) sole crop (kg ha
-1

) (kg ha
-1

) sole crop 
 Sole 1712.39a - - 1405.39a - - 
 1:1 1050.58b - 661.81 38.65% 760.67e - 644.72 45.87 
 1:2 571.83c - 1140.56 66.61% 933.82d - 471.57 33.55 
 1:3 446.15d - 1266.24 73.95% 994.67c - 410.72 29.22 
 1:4 300.35e - 1412.04 82.46% 1113.05b - 292.34 20.80 
 Se± 28.623   22.050   
        

 
 

 
are engaged in - what is the cost implication of such a 
system and the likely economic returns to the system.  

The food sub-sector of Nigeria’s semi-arid agriculture 
parades a large array of cereal crops, made possible by 
the diversity of agro-ecological production systems 
(Rowland, 1993). Presently, rice is a common dietary 
staple in Nigeria and individuals now consume 21 kg of 
rice annually, representing 9% of total caloric intake and 
23% of the total cereal consumption, with an estimated 
2.1 million tonnes of rice consumed annually by the 
populace (Ukwungwu et al., 2004). An estimated 0.4 
million tonnes of rice enters the country annually 
(Ukwungwu et al., 2004). Sorghum is no less important, a 
common staple among the poor (noting that more than 70 
per cent of the populace fall below the poverty line of one 
dollar a day) and the drier part of the country.  

The importance of sorghum and rice in the diet of most 
Nigerians justify a study on these crops. Especially, 
considering that rice have risen to a position of pre-
eminence. The fact that over 75 per cent of cultivated 
land in Nigeria is, sown to more than one crop type, 
justifies a study on multiple cropping system. This 
research thus investigated the income that accrued to 
sorghum-rice enterprise in response to varying mixture 
combinations with the aim of finding the most profitable 
mixture combination for adoption by farmers. 
 
 
MATERIALS AND METHODS 
 
On farm trials conducted in 2006 and 2007 wet seasons in Loko, 
Tudu Uku Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State, Nigeria; 

Southern guinea savanna agro-ecological Zone (Latitude 8
0
 00

1
 

19
0
N; Longitude 7

0
 50

1
 39

0
E) investigated the response of 

sorghum and rice to varying levels of intercropping. The field was 
ploughed and harrowed without ridging. Sorghum: SAMSORG 14 
(KSV8), sourced from the Institute for Agricultural research (IAR), 
Zaria was sown 25 by 90 cm intra and inter row for sole crop plots. 
For intercropped plots, rice variety: ITA 257 was dibbled between 
sorghum rows at 30 by 30 cm inter and intra row spacing at 1:1; 
1:2; 1:3 and 1:4 rows, respectively for sorghum and rice, using row 

 
 

 
substitution method as reported by Yahaya et al. (2005). One, two, 
three and four rows of sorghum stands were replaced with rice in 
the proportions of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4, respectively in line with 
Yahaya et al. (2005). Three and six seeds of sorghum and rice 
respectively, were sown and thinned to one plant/stand of sorghum 
and four plant/stand of rice two weeks after sowing. Sorghum crop 
received fertilizer application: 64 kg N, 13.2 kg P and 26.4 kg K in 
two split doses at planting and 6 WAS to sorghum, while rice 
received 80 kg N as against the fertilizer rate given to sorghum with 
other nutrients maintained as in sorghum crop.  

Data was collected on crop yield, yield implication of 

intercropping relative to sole cropping (kg ha
-1

), percentage, yield 
implication of intercropping relative to sole cropping, monetary 
implication of the cropping systems and monetary implication of 
intercropping relative to sole cropping. Returns on sorghum 

enterprise was calculated based on an average of N50 kg
-1

 of grain 
sorghum as at October 2010 while rice enterprise was based on an 

average of N140 kg
-1

 of rice grains kg
-1

 within the same period. 
Thus, economic returns to the enterprise were, derived as in the 
formulae: 
 
Rs = Ys x Cs 
Rr = Yr x Cr 
Where Rs = Revenue that accrued to sorghum (N) 
Ys = Yield of sorghum per ha (Kg) 
Cs  of sorghum per kg 
Rr = Revenue that accrued to rice (N) 
Yr = Yield of rice per ha (Kg) 
Cr = Cost of rice per kg (N) 
 
 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
 
Analysis of yield data for both cropping seasons revealed 
significant influence of sorghum – rice intercrop on grain 
yields of sorghum and rice in various mixtures. Observed 

average sorghum yield in sole plot was 1712.39 kg ha
-1

, 
which was progressively significantly decreased with 

progressive inclusion of rice rows from 1050.58 kg ha
-1

 
(38.65% yield reduction) in 1:1 sorghum – rice mixture to 

300.35 kg ha
-1

 (82.46% yield reduction) in 1:4 sorghum – 
rice mixture (Table 1). While grain yields of sorghum 
decreased with progressive rice inclusion, grain yields of 

  



219         Afr. J. Environ. Econ. Manage. 
 
 
 

Table 2. Monetary returns on sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) - rice (Oryza sativa L) enterprise ($ ha
-1

) as influenced by varying mixture 
proportion 

 
Treatment     Intercrop Effect       

               

  Sorghum     Rice    
       

Sorghum: Average grain Monetary Intercrop implication Average grain Monetary Intercrop implication 
Rice yield (kg ha

-1
) implication ( N ) relative to sole crop ( N ) yield (kg ha

-1
) implication ( N ) relative to sole crop ( N ) 

Sole 1712.39a 85,619.50   -   1405.39a 196,754.60  -   

1:1 1050.58b 52,529.00   - 33,090.50   760.67e 106,493.80  -90,260.80   

1:2 571.83c 28,591.50   -57,028.00   933.82d 130,734.80  -66,019.80   

1:3 446.15d 22,307.50   -63,312.00   994.67c 139,253.80  -57,500.80   

1:4 300.35e 15,017.50   70,602.00   1113.05b 155,827.00  -40,927.60   

Se± 28.623       22.050       
 
*Exchange rate: N150.6024 to $1 
 
 
rice increased per hectare with progressive increase in 
rice rows from 1:1 through to 1:4. However, the highest 
grain yields for both sorghum and rice were, observed in 
sole plots, which significantly decreased with 
intercropping.  

The observed yield reduction in the intercrops were not 
necessarily the result of reduction in yield capacity of 
individual stands, but rather the effect of reduced 
individual component crop population with intercropping 
(Oyewole, 2004). It should be noted that in crops that 
tiller, such as sorghum and rice, reduction in plant 
population, which accompanies intercropping, may 
actually boost yields of individual crop stands as a result, 
of profuse tiller formation with lowered population 
(Oyewole et al., 2010). This fact is glaring when one 
observes the percentage yield reduction that 
accompanied progressive rice inclusion in the intercrop 
shown on Table 1. With 1:1 row mixture, grain yield 
reduction was 38.65%, which almost doubled with 1:2 
row mixtures (66.61% yield reduction). However, the 
differences in grain yields between 1:2 and 1:3 and 
between 1:3 and 1:4 row mixtures were less than 10%. 
An indication that reduction in sorghum population must 
have prompted a boost in stand yields in the intercrops, 
either as a result of profuse tiller formation or heavier 
seed weight. Usually, the profitability of multiple cropping 
rests on the ability of the component crops to 
compensate for yield reduction through attainment of 
better combine yield. Where this occurs, observed 
reduction in individual crop is often over-matched, by the 
combined yields of component crops in the mixture. The 
combined effect of individual crop yield is difficult to 
quantify except where expressed in monetary terms. 
Thus, Table 2 attempts an interpretation of what is 
contained on Table 1 in monetary terms. This is to give a 
common scale of measurement to this different enterprise 
upon which to assess enterprise profitability.  

Considering the economic implication of intercropping 
sorghum with rice, income that accrued to sole crops was 

 
 

 
N85, 619.50 and N196, 754.60, respectively for sorghum 
and rice, which were significantly reduced with 
intercropping (Table 2). The least monetary return on 
sorghum enterprise was in 1:4 cropping ratios (N15, 
017.50), N70, 602.00 less the return in sole plots, while 
the least monetary return on rice enterprise was in 1:1 
crop combination (N106, 493.80), N 90,260.80 less the 
return on sole cropped rice. Combined monetary return 
on sole crops was N282,374.10 which decreased by 
N123,351.30 in 1:1 cropping ratios, by 123,047.80 in 1:2 
cropping ratios, by N120,812.80 in 1:3 crop combination 
while 1:4 cropping ratios recorded N111,529.60 reduction 
in income in comparison with sole crops (Table 3). Thus 
1:1 cropping ratios recorded the highest revenue 
reduction in comparison with sole crops, while the least 
revenue reduction was in 1:4 crop combination. While all 
the crop combinations investigated performed better than 
sole cropped sorghum (in terms of revenue generation), 
sole rice performed better than all the intercrops (Table 
3). The implication of this observation is that while 
sorghum is better intercropped with rice to improve 
revenue generation, rice is best as sole crop. 
 
 
Conclusion 
 
Trial conducted in Nasarawa State, Nigeria, investigated 
yield and economic returns that accrued to sorghum and 
rice in sorghum – rice intercrop as affected by rice 
inclusion in the proportions of: 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4, 
respectively for sorghum and rice. Analysis of yield data 
for both cropping seasons revealed significant influence 
of sorghum – rice intercrop on grain yields of sorghum 
and rice. Grain yield of sorghum decreased with 
progressive rice row inclusion, while grain yield of rice 
increased per hectare with progressive increase in rice 
rows.  

Considering the economic implication of intercropping 
sorghum with rice, income that accrued to sole crops was 



Bayo et al.           220 
 
 
 

Table 3. Monetary returns on sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) - rice (Oryza sativa L) enterprise (N ha
-1

) as influenced by varying mixture 
proportion. 

 
Treatment  Monetary Implication of the Intercrop ( N ) 

      

 Sorghum Rice Total Intercrop implication relative to sole crop 
Sorghum: Rice       

Sole 85,619.50 196,754.60 282,374.10 - 
1:1 52,529.00 106,493.8 159,022.80 -123,351.30 
1:2 28,591.50 130,734.80 159326.30 -123,047.80 
1:3 22,307.50 139,253.80 161,561.30 -120,812.80 
1:4 15,017.50 155,827.00 170,844.50 -111,529.60 

 
* Exchange rate: N150.6024 to $1 
 
 
significantly reduced with intercropping. While all the crop 
combinations investigated performed better than sole 
cropped sorghum (in terms of revenue generation), sole 
rice performed better than all the intercrops. The 
implication of this observation is that while sorghum is 
better intercropped with rice to improve revenue 
generation, rice is best as sole crop. In conclusion, in 
sorghum – rice intercrop, intercropping at 1:4 is 
recommended as this mixture gave best intercrop result 
in respect of monetary return relative to other mixtures. 
 
 
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