Plant Soil Environ., 2006, 52(2):47-54 | DOI: 10.17221/3345-PSE

Competition between triticale (Triticosecale Witt.) and field beans (Vicia faba var. minor L.) in additive intercrops

P. Sobkowicz

Department of Soil Management and Plant Cultivation, Agricultural University of Wrocław, Poland

In a microplot experiment conducted in 1999 and 2000 on light soil triticale and field beans were grown as sole crops and in the intercrop system. Two pure stand plant densities were established: 200 and 400 plants/m² for triticale and 50 and 100 plants/m² for field beans. Four possible intercropping combinations were obtained by adding densities of both crops. Triticale was a better competitor than field beans in all intercrops resulting in competitive balance index significantly greater than zero. The number of pods per plant of field beans was significantly reduced in all intercropping combinations compared to the pure stands, however quality of grain of the legume was unaffected by competition. Intercrop comprising 200 plants/m² of triticale and 50 plants/m² of field beans was most productive in the experiment but addition 50 more plants/m² of the legume decreased significantly grain yield of intercrop by 16.2%. The results also show that effective triticale-field beans intercrop for light soil may be designed as additive one, based on 400 plants/m² of triticale.

Keywords: cereal-legume interaction; components of yield; protein yield; competitive balance index

Published: February 28, 2006  Show citation