Evaluation of yield and yield component in potato/corn intercropping

پژوهشهای زراعی ایران

Volume 7, Issue 1 - Serial Number 13, 2009   

Document Type: Research Article

Abstract

Modification of soil temperature and canopy microclimate of potato is an appropriate factor, where soil temperature during the growing season is high. Using a shade crop such as corn has been proved to be a proper tool to overcome this problem. An attempt was made to evaluate the potato/corn intercropping under climatic conditions of Mashhad. An experiment was conducted with different combination of corn and potato: MC(corn monoculture), MP(potato monoculture), S(strip intercropping), I 25%, I 50%, I 75%(with the potato/corn rows overlapping of 25%, 50% and 75% in the strip treatment) and R(row intercropping), in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that shading caused to an increase in specific leaf area of potato in such a way that the maximum and minimum value of this variable was related to R and MP treatments, respectively. With
the gradual overlapping of the potato/corn rows in strip treatment (i.e I 25%, I 50%, I 75% and R, respectively), the corn yield increased as the result of higher rows distance than sole crop, in contrast potato yield decreased as the result of corn overshading. Consequently there was no significant difference between the experimental treatments LER. Therefore according to the results of this experiment the simultaneous planting of corn and potato with their sole crop density is not recommended, and in order to achieve better results, the corn density most be decreased, or alternatively relay intercropping systems could be used.

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