Types of interactions in intercropping of maize and soya bean

Abstract

Intercropping two or more crops under similar micro environmental conditions can increase the agricultural productivity. A field study was conducted in three-year period 2003-2005 at experimental field of Maize Research Institute, Belgrade on chernozem soil type. This examination included three experimental hybrids of maize from various FAO groups of ripening (500,600 and 700) and the type of soya bean from II group of ripening (Nena). Maize and soybean was grown in pure stands and three combinations of intercrops (alternate-row and in strip intercropping). Additive design was used for creating of intercrop variants. The paper investigated the grain yield of maize and soya bean in the intercropping, and compared with the yield of the monocrops. Comparison of the yield was carried out with the most Number indicators- Land equivalent Ratio index (LER). For individual comparisons used the standard error differences between means. Comparing with the intercropping production of monocrops production of maize and soya bean, with the index LER, the results obtained indicate that there are more intercropping production, especially in 2004. The three-year average, the increase of grain yield in the intercropping in relation to monocrops of maize and soya bean was 45% in the strip, or 49% in the alternate rows. Intra-species the intensity of competition is higher in the strip and in the pattern arrangement of the resulting lower relative grain yield, primarily due to lower maize yield.

Keywords

• maize
• soybean
• intercrops
• monocrops
• productivity
• competition