Abstract
IntroductionIntercropping is highly recommended to be used in many parts of the world for food or fibers productions, because of its overall high productivity. Intercropping consists of growing two or more crops together at once, even though the crops are not sown or harvested simultaneously. The success of intercropping is due to an enhanced temporal and spatial complementarity of resource capture. Many studies have reported that intercropping can increase crop yield due to efficient utilization of nutrients and light, and enhanced positive interactions between crops. Features of an intercropping system can differ with soil conditions, climate, economic situation, and preferences of the local community. In this study, we carried out a two-year field experiments to evaluate yield and yield components as well as growth indices in cotton and maize grown in an alternative intercropping systems.Materials and MethodsThe experiment was carried out based on a randomized complete block design at Gonabad Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Station. The cotton (Khordad cv.) and maize (D.C 370) plants were evaluated using an alternative intercropping system. The treatments consisted of one row of cotton along with one row of maize, two rows of cotton along with one row of maize, three rows of cotton along with one row of corn, and pure cotton and maize cropping. The seeds were sown 20 cm apart in the rows in May. Irrigation was performed every 10 days and monitored using a volumetric flow meter. Twenty days after emergence, sampling was carried out by harvesting three plants of each species to measure growth indices such as plant height, leaf rea index and dry weight. At the end of growing season the crops were harvested and yield and yield components were determined. The data were analyzed by using SAS 9.1 software.Results and DiscussionThe effect of intercropping was significant on maize seed and forage yield. Since plant density in intercropping treatments was less than pure culture, the maximum maize seed and forage yields were obtained from pure culture treatment. By contrast, the minimum seed and forage yields were related to one row maize along with two rows cotton treatment. Reduction in maize biological yield due to intercropping was reported by Khorami-Vafa (2006), Tuna and Orak (2007) and Patel et al., (1999). Three rows cotton along with one row maize treatment produced the maximum maize seed and forage yields. Yield increasing in this treatment may be due to more space between maize plants, providing more light and reducing intraspecific competition. No significant difference was found between intercropping treatments in terms of cotton yield. The maximum cotton yield was obtained from cotton pure cropping, whereas, the minimum yield was related to one row cotton along with one row maize treatment. Amongst intercropping treatments, the maximum cotton yield was obtained from two rows cotton along with one row maize treatment. The increase in maize and cotton biomass followed a similar trend in both years. The maximum reproductive and vegetative branches, dry matter and leaf area index were related to two rows cotton along with one row maize treatment. The maximum maize leaf area was related to three rows cotton along with one row maize treatment. In general, dry matter accumulation linearly increased 30 days after seed sowing in both maize and cotton plants and reached to its maximum 60 days after seed sowing and then started to decrease due to leaf senescence and abscission. Furthermore, in both species, leaf area index reached to its maximum 69 days after seed sowing and then started to decrease due to canopy closure, shading, leaf senescence and abscission. Mukhala et al, (1999) and Koocheki et al, (2010) have shown intercropping cause a significant increase in leaf area index.ConclusionGenerally it is concluded that maize and cotton yield in intercropping treatments were higher also traits such as leaf area index and dry matter accumulation in one row maize along with three row cotton was higher than other treatments.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Maize seed and forage yields were maximal in pure culture compared with intercropping treatments.
- Treatment
- pure culturee1
- Outcome
- maize seed and forage yieldse1
- Direction
- maximume1
- Comparator
- intercropping treatmentse1
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Since plant density in intercropping treatments was less than pure culture, the maximum maize seed and forage yields were obtained from pure culture treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Three rows of cotton with one row of maize produced the maximum maize seed and forage yields among the treatments.
- Treatment
- Three rows cotton along with one row maize treatmente2
- Outcome
- maize seed and forage yieldse2
- Direction
- maximume2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“Three rows cotton along with one row maize treatment produced the maximum maize seed and forage yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize seed and forage yields were minimal with one row of maize and two rows of cotton.
- Treatment
- one row maize along with two rows cotton treatmente2
- Outcome
- seed and forage yieldse2
- Direction
- minimume2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“By contrast, the minimum seed and forage yields were related to one row maize along with two rows cotton treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
No significant difference in cotton yield was found between intercropping treatments.
- Taxon
- cotton
Gossypium hirsutume3 - Treatment
- intercropping treatmentse3
- Outcome
- cotton yielde3
- Direction
- No significant differencee3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“No significant difference was found between intercropping treatments in terms of cotton yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Cotton yield was maximal in cotton pure cropping.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume4
- Treatment
- cotton pure croppinge4
- Outcome
- cotton yielde4
- Direction
- maximume4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The maximum cotton yield was obtained from cotton pure cropping”
Claim · model-written summary
Two rows of cotton with one row of maize gave the maximum reproductive and vegetative branches, dry matter and leaf area index.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume5
- Treatment
- two rows cotton along with one row maize treatmente5
- Outcome
- reproductive and vegetative branches, dry matter and leaf area indexe5
- Direction
- maximume5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“The maximum reproductive and vegetative branches, dry matter and leaf area index were related to two rows cotton along with one row maize treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize leaf area was maximal with three rows of cotton and one row of maize.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“The maximum maize leaf area was related to three rows cotton along with one row maize treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercropping had a significant effect on maize seed and forage yield, without a stated direction.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The effect of intercropping was significant on maize seed and forage yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Dry matter accumulation in maize and cotton reached its maximum 60 days after seed sowing.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dry matter accumulation linearly increased 30 days after seed sowing in both maize and cotton plants and reached to its maximum 60 days after seed sowing”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf area index in cotton and maize reached its maximum 69 days after seed sowing.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutume3
- Outcome
- leaf area indexe1
- Value
- 69 days after seed sowinge1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“in both species, leaf area index reached to its maximum 69 days after seed sowing”
e3“The cotton (Khordad cv.) and maize (D.C 370) plants were evaluated using an alternative intercropping system”
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