LIGHT SPECTRUM UNDER BAGRAS (Eucalyptus deglupta Blume) PLANTATION AND ITS EFFECT ON MAIZE PRODUCTION

The research objectives were to determine the light transmitted under 7-year-old Bagras plantation, and to evaluate the agronomic character of maize planted along alleys such as height, LAI, and grain yield. RCBD was the experimental designed used replicated twice, treatment includes sole maize, as intercrops under 1x3m and 1x9m hedgerow spacing.

Hemispherical Photographs were used to measure the light transmitted (PAR) under bagras plantation. The results indicated significantly lower PAR in the hedgerow treatments compared to the control. The maize agronomic character such as height, LAI, and grain was found lower under hedgerow system than in the sole maize, Nevertheless, between hedgerow treatments, the 1x3m grain yield was insignificantly different with 1x9m. This results revealed that the maize physiological and productive characters response differently with light (PAR) intensity in the system. The former react in affirmative, while negative for the later. The conditions also attributed to the hedgerows canopy structure development.