• Authors:
    • Dordas, C.
    • Vlachostergios, D.
    • Lithourgidis, A.
    • Damalas, C.
  • Source: European Journal of Agronomy
  • Volume: 34
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Intercrops of pea ( Pisum arvense L.), a popular legume used in intercropping systems with winter cereals for forage and silage production, with wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), rye ( Secale cereale L.), and triticale (* Triticosecale Wittmack) in two seeding ratios (60:40 and 80:20) were compared with monocrops of pea and cereals for two growing seasons. Growth rate, dry matter yield, and N uptake were determined in each intercropping system. Furthermore, several indices were used to evaluate the intercropping systems and analyze the competition and the interrelationships between mixture components. Growth rate of cereals was lower in the mixtures than in the monocrops. Dry matter yield was higher in triticale monocrop, followed by its two intercrops, and the pea-wheat 80:20 intercrop. Moreover, triticale monocrop, pea-triticale intercrops, and pea-wheat 80:20 intercrop showed the highest crude protein yield and N uptake. The land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coefficient (K), actual yield loss (AYL), and system productivity index (SPI) values were greater for the pea-triticale mixtures and the pea-wheat and pea-rye mixtures (80:20), indicating an advantage of intercropping. In most intercrops, the values of partial K, AYL, aggressivity, and competitive ratio (CR) indicated that the cereal was more competitive than pea. The highest values of monetary advantage index (MAI) and intercropping advantage (IA) were recorded for the pea-triticale and the pea-wheat mixtures (80:20). Overall, pea-triticale and pea-wheat mixtures (80:20) were more productive and produced better forage quality than the other mixtures and thus could be adopted by the farmers as alternative options for forage production.
  • Authors:
    • Burdick, B. A.
    • Massey, R. E.
    • Nelson, K. A.
  • Source: Agronomy Journal
  • Volume: 103
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Early-seeded soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] relay intercropped into standing wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) using soybean seed-coat technology may allow profitable wheat production in the Midwest on highly erodible soils. Dry conditions in mid- to late June have reduced relay intercropped soybean stands and yield in some years. We hypothesized that using glyphosate as a wheat harvest aid would reduce the impact of wheat interference on relay intercropped soybean grain yield and increase gross margins. Field research conducted over four site-years in upstate Missouri evaluated timings for application of glyphosate as a harvest aid on wheat and relay intercropped soybean. The cost effectiveness of these cropping systems was compared to full-season soybean, double-cropped wheat-soybean, and wheat-only production systems. Glyphosate applied to wheat 1 wk before harvest, after late dough, in a relay intercrop production system with coated-soybean maintained wheat grain yields similar to nontreated wheat, and increased soybean grain yields 290 to 770 kg ha -1 compared to nontreated wheat relay intercropped or double-cropped with soybean. Earlier glyphosate application timings (2-3 wk before wheat harvest) reduced wheat grain yields 10 to 25% and grain density 3 to 13%, but soybean yield increased 430 to 520 kg ha -1 compared to nontreated wheat in a relay intercrop system. A relay intercrop system with seed coat technology and glyphosate as a harvest aid may allow farmers to maintain wheat in their crop rotation while minimizing risk associated with early fall frost or dry conditions at seeding that may otherwise decrease double-crop soybean yields.
  • Authors:
    • Hermansen, J.
    • Panneerselvam, P.
    • Halberg, N.
  • Source: Journal of Sustainable Agriculture
  • Volume: 35
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: This study compared farm production, crop yield, input cost, and income in organic and conventional farming systems in three states of India: Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. The results showed that organic farming reduced the input cost without affecting the net margin in all three states. Total food production was found to be comparable for the two systems in two of three states. While yield of rice and wheat generally was lower under the organic systems, yield from intercropping food crops was generally higher. The number of agro-ecological methods and percentage of farms practicing different agro-ecological methods were higher under organic systems than conventional systems. These results suggest that organic farming has the potential to improve food security of small farmers by reducing indebtedness due to the lower cost of production without affecting total farm production and farm income.
  • Authors:
    • Ferguson, R.
    • Boquet, D.
    • Paxton, K.
  • Source: Louisiana Agriculture
  • Volume: 54
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: An experiment was conducted from 2001 to 2009 in Louisiana to analyze the profit potential of a soyabean/wheat double-crop was compared to a monocrop system. Wheat was planted in early to mid-November each year, and soybeans were planted immediately following wheat harvest, generally in mid-May. Monocrop soybeans were generally planted in late April or early May. The difference in yield for the duration of the experiment averaged about 3.6 bushels per acre. Although the double-crop soyabeans had lower average yields, this system also had additional income from the wheat crop. Wheat yields ranged from about 40 to almost 80 bushels per acre and averaged 58 bushels per acre from 2002 through 2009. For most of the years, the double-crop system produced higher net returns than soyabeans alone. During the experiment, the double-crop system net returns were 58.89 dollars per acre higher than the monocrop soybeans. Based on this analysis, double cropping soybeans and wheat could add significantly to a producer's net income.
  • Authors:
    • Ponizil, A.
    • Henriksen, B.
    • Pozdisek, J.
    • Loes, A. K.
  • Source: Agronomy Research
  • Volume: 9
  • Issue: 1/2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: In 2009, controlled field trials were conducted on three certified organic farms with field pea (leaf type), spring barley and spring wheat in monocultures and mixtures (pea:cereal ratio 60:40) to study the possibility of producing fodder for monogastric animals under Czech conditions. By grain harvest time, seed samples were collected and analysed for dry matter, ash, crude protein, fat and crude fiber, and content of organic matter and nitrogen-free extracts (NFE) were determined. Weed harrowing at various pea heights were included at one farm. Samples for analysis of tannins and trypsin-inhibitor activity (TIA) were taken from treatments with no weed harrowing (H0) and harrowings at 5 and 10 cm pea height (H2). Analyses of amino acids were conducted from H0-samples. To complement the data from the farm trials, samples of grains from treatments with the same pea and cereal varieties in plot trials conducted in 2008 and 2009 studying the effect of pea:cereal seed ratio and weed harrowing at various pea heights, were analysed. In cereals, the crude protein content increased by intercropping with pea. This increase was compensated for by a decrease in NFE. Wheat and barley grown in mixtures with peas seemed to contain more methionine than cereals in monoculture, and there tends to be higher threonine content in intercropped barley compared with barley monoculture. This is positive for the nutrition of monogastric animals. There were no pronounced effects of intercropping on tannins or TIA or on the content of other analysed nutrients in the cereals. The chemical composition of peas was not significantly impacted by intercropping.
  • Authors:
    • Zhou, Y.
    • Zhang, X.
    • Chen, X.
    • Zhao, Q.
    • Lei, J.
    • Zhang, H.
    • Qiao, X.
  • Source: Xinjiang Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue: 10
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Objective: The purpose of this project was to clarify shade condition's effect on the formation of kernel number per spike and analyze yield components of wheat under shade condition so as to take an effective growth measurement on fruit tree-crop intercropping models (Jujube-wheat, Apricot-wheat and Walnut-wheat intercropping). Method: In the present paper, the effects of shading on kernel number per spike were studied and analysis of yield components of wheat under the artificial shade condition was carried out. Result: The results showed that, under the artificial shade condition, the fertile florets, plant weight, grains per spike, grains weight per spike, spike number per hectare and yield were obviously reduced in the course of the wheat growth period. Conclusion: The results indicated that improving the kernel number per spike should be focused on the differentiation, growth and development, degeneration and grain courses of florets. Improving the yield should be focused on the growth and development, spike number per hectare and grain-filling characteristic courses of plants.
  • Authors:
    • Liu, M.
    • Zhai, H.
    • Shi, C.
    • Dong, B.
    • Ruan, F.
    • Qiao, Y.
  • Source: Chinese Journal of Eco-Agriculture
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Ridge planting and intercropping of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) are important cropping systems in the North China Plain (NCP), in which there exists an acute shortage of water resources especially for crop production. This study analyzed water use efficiency ( WUE) of winter wheat in wheat||spinach-tomato cropping system using both traditional and ridge cultivation as the control practices. Traditional cultivated spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) and tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Miller) system was the control cropping practice for the spinach||tomato intercropping system. The results showed that wheat grain yield under ridge planting and intercropping was 11% less than under traditional cultivation (401 kg.667 m -2). The reduction in grain yield was attributed to low tiller number as ridge-edge effect was not fully exploited. Tiller numbers of ridge-planted ridge-intercropped wheat were 13.2% and 8.2% less than traditional cultivated wheat system. Row tiller number was much less in either ridge-planted or ridge-intercropped systems than in traditional cultivation system. Comparisons among the three cropping systems suggested that traditional wheat cropping had the highest WUE (1.039 kg.667 m -2.mm -1), and that intercropping had the lowest WUE (0.868 kg 667 m -2.mm -1). Ridge cultivation had a smaller WUE (0.944 kg.666.7 m -2.mm -1) than traditional cultivation system because between-ridge water was not fully utilized. Yield of spinach was, however, not affected by wheat. Yields of intercropped and traditional cultivation spinach systems were 826 kg.667 m -2 and 851 kg.667 m -2, respectively, with a difference not statistically significant. However, tomato growth was greatly hampered under the intercropping system. Stem diameter and biomass per plant under intercropped tomato was respectively 27% and 37% less than that under traditional cultivation system. This suggested that after spinach harvest, tomato transplanting should be postponed as long as possible so as to shorten crop symbiosis and make the cropping system more manageable. It was therefore concluded that wheat||spinach-tomato cropping system facilitated di-season vegetable and food production, provided that the wheat and vegetable cultivars were properly selected and cultivated.
  • Authors:
    • Dube, R. K.
    • Dhyani, S. K.
    • Sharma, A. R.
    • Ratan, S.
  • Source: Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 81
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A field experiment was conducted at Selakui, Dehradun during 2001-04 to study the effect of tillage (conventional and minimum) and mulching practices (no mulching and live mulching) under artificially created varying land slopes (0.5, 2.5, 4.5 and 9.5%) on soil-moisture conservation, productivity and nutrient uptake in maize ( Zea mays L.)-wheat ( Triticum aestivum L. emend Fiori & Paol.) cropping system. Sunnhemp ( Crotalaria juncea L.) intercropped with maize gave 0.87-1.09 tonnes biomass (dry weight) and accumulated 24.8-31.4 kg N/ha at 30 days of growth when it was mulched. Biomass and N accumulation generally decreased with increasing land slope and under minimum tillage. Maize performed better on moderate slopes (2.5-4.5%) than on the relatively flat (0.5%) and highly sloping land (9.5%). However, the yield of wheat decreased linearly and significantly with increasing slope due to less conservation of soil moisture on sloping lands during the previous rainy season. Conventional tillage gave significantly higher productivity of both maize and wheat than the minimum tillage. Intercropping of maize with sunnhemp and spreading the cut biomass as mulch at 30 days (live mulching) improved soil moisture conservation at maize harvest (+1.63 to 1.94%), and yield of maize (12.0%) as well as of following wheat (13.8%) compared with the no mulching.
  • Authors:
    • Taxi, Z.
    • Song, F.
    • Yishake, H.
    • Yu, T.
    • Shi, Y.
  • Source: Journal of Northeast Forestry University
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue: 10
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A study was conducted to discuss the spatial distribution of root system of jujube trees in jujube-crop intercropping system in Aksu by the layered digging method, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the establishment of root water uptake model for jujube trees, the analysis of ecological characteristics of water, and the determination of application area. Results showed that, in the vertical direction, in the jujube-wheat intercropping system, the jujube roots distributed in the 0-80 cm soil layer, accounting for 82.55% of root biomass and 74.87% of root length density, while in the jujube-cotton intercropping system, the jujube roots distributed in the 0-90 cm soil layer, accounting for 82.66% of root biomass and 66.75% of root length density; in the horizontal direction, in the jujube-wheat intercropping system, the jujube roots distributed in 0-100 cm away from the jujube tree, accounting for 82.10% of root biomass and 56.99% of root length density, while in the jujube-cotton intercropping system, the jujube roots distributed in 0-150 cm away from the jujube tree, accounting for 81.46% of root biomass and 83.80% of root length density. The distribution regularity of root length density of different root diameter classes and total root length density was consistent. Roots of 0- to 1.0-mm root diameter class mainly distributed in the 0-80 cm soil layer and 0-150 cm away from the jujube tree, and the root length density decreased with increasing soil depth and distance from the tree (horizontal direction). Regression equations explaining the relationships between total root length density or total root biomass and the horizontal distance from the tree and soil depth were established.
  • Authors:
    • Alok, T.
    • Sarawgi, S.
    • Shrikant, C.
    • Singh, M.
    • Vijendra, J.
  • Source: Journal of Soils and Crops
  • Volume: 21
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Field experiment was conducted on different intercropping under irrigated condition during rabi season of 2009-10 at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur to evaluate the yield, economics and to undertake weed studies of intercropping in rabi cereal, legume, oilseeds and spices in rice based cropping system in inceptisols. Maximum wheat equivalent yield, (65.55 q ha -1) of rabi crops was recorded in onion+coriander system over all the other intercropping treatment. Wheat+fenugreek intercropping was next in order which has also recorded significantly higher WEY (36.58 q ha -1) overwheat followed by rice, the existing cropping system (30.61 q ha -1), castor+lentil (32.78 q ha -1) and wheat+lentil (28.18 q ha -1). The highest net returns (Rs.65,292 ha -1) from rabi crops were recorded with onion+coriander because of higher value of the produce. The highest B:C ratio of rabi intercrops was recorded in onion+coriander (1.98) followed by mustard+lentil (1.90) and wheat (1.89). On the other hand, the highest weed population (172.33 and 147.00 m -2) and dry matter production (7.8 and 194 g m -2) was observed in mustard+lentil at 30 and 60 DAS. The lowest weed dry production was found in onion+coriander (1.8 g m -2) at 30 DAS, and under wheat+fenugreek (82.07 g m -2) at 60 DAS. On an average, the available N, P, K and organic carbon content were increased by 6.1, 3.6, 11.8, and 4.2%, respectively over initial values in soil after the harvest of the rabi crop.