Evaluation of Competitive Indices Between Caraway and Garlic as Affected by Intercropping System and Potassium Fertilization Level

Abstract

During the winters of 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, an experiment was done on a private farm in Taha El-Marg Village, Diarb Negm District, Al Sharqia Governorate, Egypt. The purpose of these studies was to examine the impact of intercropping systems using caraway and garlic at varying row ratios (single crop of each as control, 1:2, 2:1, and 2: 2, respectively) and potassium rates (0.0, 25, 50, and 75 kg K2O/feddan) on competitive indices between the two crops. Plots consisted in the intercropping systems and the subplots were constituted by the potassium fertilization rates. Alternating two rows of caraway with one row of garlic significantly increased land equivalent ratio (LER), area× time equivalent ratio (ATER) and land utilization efficiency (LUE%) compared to the other intercropping systems. Under the highest potassium fertilization level, the highest values of LER (1.17 and 1.10), ATER (1.09 and 1.04) and LUE% (112.82 and 107.00%) were achieved. In general applied intercropping systems (1:2 or 2: 2 systems) were more efficient than sole cropping and other one under study when combined with potassium fertilization rate at 75 kg K2O/feddan, in most cases. Both competitive ratio (CR) and Aggressivity (A) estimation showed that caraway was dominant while garlic was dominated.