Efficacy of maize/cassava intercrop in the control of pepper diseases

Two tall companion crops were used as intrecrops with pepper for this experiment, cassava and maize. It was observed that the pepper plants intercropped within maize an cassava had less viral disease incidence compared to sole pepper plot. There was no viral disease incidence recorded in cassava/pepper intercrop and that of maize pepper was about 0.5%. In the maize/pepper intercrop, it was observed that there was an increase in number of branches per palnt and plant height compared to cassava/pepper and sole pepper respectively, which contributed to the subsequent increase in the yield of the pepper varieties within maize. The pepper plants in the intercrop were observed to have longer period of yield and age, though they flowere late compared to sole pepper plants. The yield from the maize plant can even compensate as additional gains for labour cost.