Effect of faba bean sowing distance and some combinations of mineral nitrogen levels with bio-fertilizers on sugar beet and faba bean productivity under intercropping system

ABSTRACT
A field experiment was conducted at Sakha Agric. Res. Station, Kafer EL-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt during 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons to study the relative advantage of intercropping faba bean (variety Giza 643) with sugar beet (variety Geloria) and its impact on yield and quality attributes of both crops. A split plot design with three replications was used. The treatments of faba bean sowing distance (10, 20 and 30 cm) allocated in the main plots, while, the ten combination of nitrogen levels with bio fertilizers (90, 72, 54, 36 kg N/fed., 72, 54, 36 kg N/fed. + Cerealine, 72, 54, 36 kg N/fed. + Rizobacterine) were arranged in sub plots, the obtained results showed that:
The planting space of 30 cm gave the greatest values of number of branches/ plant, number of pods /plant, number of seeds/plant, weight of 100 seeds, straw yield/fed., seeds yield/fed., protein percent, root diameter (cm), fresh leaves weight/plant, fresh root weight/plant, dry leaves weight /plant, dry root weight /plant and root yield/fed (ton fed.-1). in both seasons and at number of leaves /plant in the first seasons only, while the planting space of 10 cm recorded the lowest values in all previous characters. The treatment of 36 kg N level showed the lowest values at plant height (cm), number of pods/plant, number of seeds/plant, weight of 100 seeds (gm), seeds yield (ton fed.-1), protein percent of faba bean, number of leaves /plant, root length (cm), root diameter (cm), fresh leaves weight/plant, fresh root weight/plant, dry leaves weight /plant, dry root weight /plant, root yield/fed (ton fed.-1), sugars percent (%), purity percent and TSS (%) of sugar beet in the two growing seasons, while the treatments both of 90 and 72 kg mineral nitrogen as individual or 72 kg mineral nitrogen in combination with Cerealine or Rizobacterien recorded the highest significant values at all mentioned previous characters in both seasons. The interaction between 30 cm sowing distance of faba bean with both of 90 and 72 kg mineral nitrogen as individual or 72 kg mineral nitrogen in combination with Cerealine or Rizobacterien in both growing seasons recorded the highest values of the all studied characters while, the lowest values of those characters were recorded at the interaction between 10 cm faba bean sowing distance 36 kg mineral nitrogen as individual in both growing seasons. The highest values of Relative yield (RY), LER and net income of faba bean and sugars beet were obtained from the interaction between 30 cm sowing distance of faba bean with both 90 and 72 kg mineral nitrogen as individual or in combination with Cerealine or Rizobacterien in both seasons.
It could be concluded that the highest productivity and best total net income of faba bean and sugars beet resulted from planting of faba bean at distance 30 cm under intercropping system with sugar beet with application of 72 kg mineral nitrogen in combination with bio fertilizers (Cerealine or Rizobacterien).