Effect Intercropping and Weed Control Treatments on the Productively of Maize and Sunflower

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

The present experiment was carried out in Agricultural Research Station at Giza governorate, Egypt, during 2010 and 2011 seasons to study the effect of three weed control treatments (untreated, hand hoeing twice and (Acetochlor harness herbicide) and four intercropping patterns (1:1), (2:1), (3:1) and (2:2) maize : sunflower in alternating ridges. Beside of two pure stands for both crops as recommended on weed characters and growth, yield and yield components characters of maize and sunflower in association , as well as, competitive relationships and yield advantages. A split plot design with three replications was used.
Results could be summarized as follows:
Weeds: Hand hoeing twice and harness herbicide significantly decreased all weed characters in both seasons. There is no significance between hand hoeing and harness herbicide. Intercropping pattern (2:2) was a superior pattern in reducing all weed characters in both seasons, whereas intercropping pattern (2:1) gave the highest values in both seasons. The interaction between two factors under study revealed that intercropping pattern (2:2) and using harness herbicide recorded the lowest values on weed characters, whereas intercropping pattern (2:1) with untreated treatment recorded the highest values in both seasons
Maize: Hand hoeing twice and harness herbicide significantly increased growth, yield and yield components characters compared with untreated treatment in both seasons. Intercropping pattern (1:1) recorded the highest values for yield components characters of maize in both seasons. Intercropping pattern (3:1) maize: sunflower gave the lowest values for yield components characters of maize in both seasons. Intercropping pattern (1:1) was the highest values were79.66 % and74.46 % grain yield/ fed were significantly affected by the interaction between two factors understudy in both seasons.
Sunflower: Harness herbicide and hand hoeing twice treatments gave on one hand higher values and untreated on the other hand lower values of growth, yield and yield components characters of sunflower in both seasons. Most of studied characters of sunflower significantly affected by intercropping patterns in both seasons. Intercropping pattern (2:2) recorded the highest values of seed yield/fed, whereas intercropping pattern (3:1) was the lowest values in both seasons. Head diameter and weight of head were significantly affected by the interactions between two factors.
Competitive relationship: Land equivalent ratio (LER): The best land usage was 1.21 in the first season, which were recorded with (2:1) pattern (67 % maize: 33 % sunflower), and 1.26 in the second seasons, which were recorded with (1:1) pattern (50 % maize: 50 % sunflower), with intercropping pattern (2:1) by Harness herbicide in the first and second seasons, respectively. Their values showed the same trend of (RCC) in both seasons. Aggressivity (Agg.) showed that maize was the dominant crop with the intercropping patterns which included 67 % maize + 33 % sunflower in both seasons, and sunflower was the dominated crop with the other intercropping patterns.
Total income: Economic evaluation of intercropping patterns indicated that 2:1 pattern gave the highest values of total income the pattern of 67 % maize: 33 % sunflower (5593.0 L.E.) and (5931.5 L.E.) with herbicide weed control treatments in the first and second season, respectively.

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