EFFECT OF INTERCROPPING, BORON AND IRON ON GROWTH, YIELD, YIELD QUALITY AND ECONOMIC RETURN of PEA WITH CABBAGE

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out during the winter seasons of 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 at farm in Disuq district. Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate to investigate the effect of intercropping system between cabbage (Brunsiwek cv) and pea (Master B cv) and foliar application of boron (0, 50 and 80 ppm) and iron (0, 100 and 200 ppm) on growth, yield and yield quality as well as the economic value. The results could be summarized as follows: 1. Intercropping pea with cabbage increased plant height, but decreased number of leaves, leaf area and plant fresh weight compared to pea solid cropping in both seasons. The highest green pod yield of intercropped pea was obtained from planting cabbage on one side and three rows of pea on the other side which gave 2.731 and 2.079 ton/fed. in the two seasons, respectively. 2. Spraying pea plants with boron at 50 ppm or iron with 200 ppm increased plant height, number of leaves, leaf area plant fresh weight, pod length, number of seeds/pod and total green pod yield in both seasons. 3. The highest yield of intercropped cabbage was obtained from planting one row of cabbage on one side and one row of pea on the other side which gave 44.31 and 40.74 ton/fed in the two seasons, respectively. 4. Spraying cabbage plants with boron at 50 ppm or iron at 100 ppm increased number and weight of inedible and edible leaves, total head weight, head yield./fed. and cabbage head quality in both seasons. 5. Intercropping pea with cabbage where cabbage grew one side and two rows of pea on the other side or cabbage in one side and three rows of pea on the other side gave high economic values. These two intercropping systems exceeded the solid planting of cabbage with 48.9 and 65.4 % in the first season, and 43.8 and 36.8% in the second one, respectively.