Peanut was direct seeded on August 1, 2011 and watermelon
was direct seeded approximately one week later on August 7th.
Okra and cowpea were direct seeded on August 14 and 15th,
respectively. Three inch tall pepper plants were transplanted on
August 18th. Peanut and cowpea were inoculated with “Vault”
commercial inoculant during planting as this field had not
previously been inoculated with Rhizobia. Inoculation with
Rhizobia is considered to benefit leguminous crops by increasing
nodulation and N2 fixation, and maximizing yields (Brockwell and
Bottomley, 1995). Although the addition of inoculant may increase
costs for the producer in the short-term, the long-term benefits in
the form of increased yields may outweigh that initial cost
(Nyoki and Ndakidemi, 2013). Additionally, re-seeding continued
through the end of August in order to maximize the number of
plants per species per plot. Weeding was done continuously
throughout the growing season from the time of seeding through
the conclusion of the study.