Abstract
Nitrogen supply and plant population are basic parameters for cereal-legume intercropping. In order to study plant population and nitrogen fertilizer effects on yield and yield efficiency of maize-bean intercropping, a field experiment was established. Three bean plant populations and three nitrogen levels were used. Maize dry matter accumulation decreased with increases in bean plant population. Competitive effect of intercrop beans on maize yields was high at higher plant populations, being decreased by nitrogen fertilizer; application of 50 kg ha-1 N was very efficient in increasing maize cob yield. Intercropping significantly decreased harvest index of beans in all plant population and nitrogen fertilizer situations. The efficiency of intercropping, compared to sole cropping, was evidenced by the values obtained for Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) for biomass, cob and pod yields that increased with increases in bean plant populations and nitrogen fertilizer levels.
Highlights
A general assumption in intercropping cereals with legume crops is that the legume, when associated (1)Accepted for publication on July 31, 2003. (2)Embrapa-Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Trópico Semi-There is evidence that leguminous plants can benefit the intercrop cereals in the same season through N excretion (Eaglesham et al, 1981) and nodule decomposition (Saito, 1982; Bonetti, 1991)
Dry matter accumulation in intercropped maize was very slow in early stages at all bean populations and all N levels, and N effect was similar in all levels until 62 days after sowing (DAS) (Figure 1)
Dry matter accumulation at Bean population 1 (B1) was similar in all N levels until 82 DAS and in N2 and N3 throughout the growing period except at 92 DAS when there was a drop at N3; at N1, it slowed down after 92 DAS, being less than N2 and N3 from 107 DAS onwards
Summary
A general assumption in intercropping cereals with legume crops is that the legume, when associated (1)Accepted for publication on July 31, 2003. (2)Embrapa-Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Trópico Semi-There is evidence that leguminous plants can benefit the intercrop cereals in the same season through N excretion (Eaglesham et al, 1981) and nodule decomposition (Saito, 1982; Bonetti, 1991). A general assumption in intercropping cereals with legume crops is that the legume, when associated (1)Accepted for publication on July 31, 2003. (2)Embrapa-Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Trópico Semi-. There is evidence that leguminous plants can benefit the intercrop cereals in the same season through N excretion (Eaglesham et al, 1981) and nodule decomposition (Saito, 1982; Bonetti, 1991). There is marked variation in the N supplying ability among legume species (Senaratne et al, 1995). Competition between component crops for growth-limiting factors is regulated by morphophysiological differences and agronomic. Willey factors such as the proportion of crops in the mixture and fertilizer application (Trenbath, 1976; Russell & Caldwell, 1989). Intraspecific competition seems to be more intense than interspecific competition (Oljaca et al, 2000)
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