Intercropping Systems of Sunflower and Peanut under Different Irrigation Regimes and Potassium Fertilizer Levels

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Water Requirements and Field Irrigation Research Department, Soils, Water and Environment Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

2 Crop Intensification Research Department, Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

TWO FIELD experiments were conducted at the research farm of Ismailia Governorate, Egypt during 2016 and 2017 summer seasons. This study was used to determine the suitable spatial arrangement of sunflower and peanut in an intercropping system under three irrigation water levels and three fertilizer (K) levels on yield, the land and water equivalent ratios and farmer's net income.
The three irrigation treatments (0.7, 1.0 and 1.2ETo), the three K fertilizer levels (57, 86 and 114K2O kg/ha) and the four intercropping systems of sunflower and peanut (different spatial arrangements) were arranged in a strip split plot with three replications.
The results indicated that application of 1.0 and 1.2ETo had similar effect on most of yield traits of the intercrops. Application of 114K2O kg/ha had the highest values of most yield traits of the intercrops. Intercropping sunflower with peanut (S1), where peanut seeds were sown on both sides of all the raised beds, sunflower seeds were sown on one row above the raised beds and the following bed was left without intercropping gave the highest values of peanut and sunflower yield and its attributes.
In conclusion, the highest yield, land and water equivalent ratios, as well as farmer's net income can be obtained under 1.2ETo, 114K2O kg/ha and S1 intercropping system.

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