Effect of intercropping and plant distribution of sorghum with soybean on growth and yield of Sorghum bicolor

Abstract

This field experiment was carried out at special farm at Luxor governorate, Egypt during 2018 and 2019 seasons to study the effect of some intercropping patterns and plant distributions of sorghum (var. Dorado) and soybean (var. Giza-111) on the growth, yield and yield components and the economic return of the sorghum plants. The experimental was laid out in split-split plot with randomized block design in three replications. The plant height of sorghum was significant affected by the different intercropping patterns and plant density in the second season only as a result of the interaction between the number of plants/ hill and the intercropping patterns. The highest values of panicle length ​​were by sole cropping of sorghum compared to the other intercropping patterns. Sowing sorghum – soybean plants as 1:1 side on the same row resulted in the highest values of panicle weight and grain yield /plant of sorghum in the mean of seasons. Sowing of sorghum as sole crop at 15 cm between hills plus two plants /hill followed by 4:2 row intercropping gave the highest values of grain weight /plot and grain yield /feddan (feddan = 0.420 hectares = 1.037 acres) in the two seasons compared to the other treatments. The highest value of land equivalent ratio (1.41) resulted from the use of 3:3 row pattern of intercropping with two plants /hill and 15 cm spacing. Also, there is an increase in the value of the land equivalent ratio (1.29) with the use of the 4:2 row pattern of sorghum-soybean intercropping with 2 plants /hill and 15 cm between hills. The most profitable system was intercropping of sorghum: soybean as 3: 3 or 4:2 row patterns and 15 or 20 cm between hills with planting two plants /hill.