MAXIMIZING LAND USAGE AND PROFITABILITY BY RELAY INTERCROPPING COTTON WITH SOME CROPS AND ITS RELATION TO INSECT CENSU

Abstract

A two-years study was carried out at Sids Agricultural Research Station, Beni-Sweif government, Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Egypt, during 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 seasons to evaluate response of Egyptian cotton traits to different intercropping systems with some wheat cultivars and its relationship with land usage ,farmer's benefit and insect infestation. The treatments were the combination between three wheat cultivars (Sids 4, Sids 12 and Misr 2) and three intercropping systems (wheat/cotton ‘CS1’, wheat + onion (green)/cotton ‘CS2’ and wheat + onion(green) /cotton + sesame ‘CS3’). The treatments were compared in a split plot design with three replications. The results showed that Wheat cultivar Misr 2 gave higher plant , biological and grain yields(10.41, 7.09, 19.71and 18.09) per fad but it had lower grains weight per spike than others in both seasons. Wheat cultivar Sids 4 had higher spike length and weight, grains weight per spike and 1000-grain weight. The cropping system 'CS1' had higher grain yield per fad ( 18.89 and 17.44 ardab ) than the other cropping systems in both seasons. The interaction between wheat cultivars and cropping systems significantly affected for all the studied wheat traits in both seasons. Wheat cultivar Misr 2 in cropping system CS1 recorded the highest grain yield (20.50 and 18.31) ardab per fad in both seasons. Meanwhile, the highest spike length and grains weight were obtained by growing wheat cultivar Sids 4 in cropping systems CS2, respectively, in the first season and with wheat cultivar Sids 12 in the second season. Relay intercropping cotton with wheat cultivar Sids 4 had higher seed cotton yield (8.80, 6.86 kintar) per fad than the other cultivars in both seasons. Cropping system CS1 had higher seed cotton yield ( 9.20, 7.14 kintar) per fad than other cropping systems in both seasons. The interaction between wheat cultivars and cropping systems significantly affected for all the studied cotton traits in both seasons hears rely intercropping cotton with wheat cultivar Sids 4 in intercropping CS1 give the highest values for all the studied cotton traits in both seasons. The intercropping had a significant effect on insects, larvae and whole insects. The intercropping resulted in a significant decrease in the number of insects in each of the Jassed, Aphin and the Nezara Viridula in all intercropping systems. Conversely, the intercropping cotton with wheat increased the number of red spider insects, thrips and white flies. In comparison, the intercropping resulted in a significant increase in the number of natural enemies in all intercropping systems in both seasons. while intercropping sesame with cotton also had a significant effect on insects in general, in contrast, this intercropping system had a significant effect on the incidence of almonds worms, where there was a significant decrease compared to single cotton in both seasons. on the above, intensive cropping system (Onion + wheat cultivar Sids 4/cotton + sesame) reduced insect incidence compared to the conventional cropping system (wheat/cotton). Relay intercropping cotton with wheat cultivar Sids 4 and intercropping sesame with cotton after wheat harvest (CS3) had the highest LER ( 2.81 and 2.64) , ATER(1.30 and 1.21) and MAI (LE 23985 and 21194) for the cropping system (Onion + wheat cultivar Sids 4/cotton + sesame)in the first and second seasons, respectively was higher values compared the other treatments in both seasons.