Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the productivity and quality characteristics of beet and chicory based on management of straw and intercropping period of establishment. The experiment was conducted in the organic horticulture sector of UNIOESTE, in a design of randomized blocks with four replications, where the treatments were arranged in 2 x 5 and 2 x 8 factorial schemes. The first factorial consisted of the straw mulch management (with and without incorporation of the gray velvet bean straw) and the intercropping period of establishments and beet and chicory monocrops (0; 7; 14 and 21 days after transplanting beet). The second factorial was composed of the straw mulch management (with and without incorporation) and the cultivation of chicory intercropped with beet and in monocrop at the same periods. The chicory interfered in beet’s productivity when the transplant occurred at the same period. The beet cultivation in a intercropping contributed positively to the better use of the area in the two management systems, influencing in a positive way the agronomic characteristics of the crop, but without compromising the commercial quality of the crops, that were agronomically viable, considering the UET index.
Highlights
Crop intercropping consists of simultaneous growth of two or more crops, considered environmentally adequate because it allows biological diversity of species, making the agroecosystem more stable and with a lower risk of pests and diseases incidence (CECÍLIO FILHO; REZENDE; CANATO, 2007)
The management of straw did not influence the plant height, but by the period of chicory transplant; they presented the lowest height when they were intercropped with the chicory at 14 and 21 days after transplant (DAT), with heights of 39.29 and 37.77 cm, respectively (Table 1)
The heights in this work were superior to those reported by Grangeiro et al (2011), which working with beet and coriander intercropping obtained 31.05 cm height
Summary
Crop intercropping consists of simultaneous growth of two or more crops, considered environmentally adequate because it allows biological diversity of species, making the agroecosystem more stable and with a lower risk of pests and diseases incidence (CECÍLIO FILHO; REZENDE; CANATO, 2007). Some studies on vegetable intercropping report the use of tuberous crops with leafy crops, focusing mainly on the effect of fertilization, spatial arrangements and period of establishments (CECÍLIO FILHO; REZENDE; CANATO, 2007; GRANGEIRO et al, 2011; REIS; RODRIGUES; REIS, 2013). According to Grangeiro et al (2007), the proper moment to intercropping has been considered a relevant factor, since the crops do not need be sown or transplanted in the same period, but during a part of their development, there will be interaction between them. The sowing or transplanting period in intercropping systems is an important management variable, since its delay can increase productivity and decrease the competition between growth factors
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