Effect of Ridge Width and Cropping System on Productivity and Land Use Efficiency in Faba Bean-Flax Intercrops

T WO FIELD experiments were conducted at the Agricultural Experimental Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt during 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons. The study to investigate the performance of two faba bean varieties, i.e. Giza- 843 and Giza- 2 when intercropped with flax to productivity, land use efficiency, farmer's benefit and control broomrape in faba bean fields under two ridge widths. The experiment included 8 treatments which were the combination of two ridge widths (60 and 120 cm), two cropping systems (intercropping and solid planting) and two faba bean varieties (Giza- 2 and Giza- 843). The experimental design was a split- split plot design in randomized complete block arrangement with three replications. The results indicated that increasing ridge width from 60 to 120 cm decreased number of Orobanche crenata m-2 but it increased seed yield of the intercrops plant-1 and ha-1. Intercropping flax with faba bean decreased number of Orobanche crenata -2 and seed yield plant-1 and ha-1 of both intercrop components. Faba bean cv. Giza- 843 recorded the lowest values of number of Orobanche crenata m-2 and the highest values of yield and its attributes compared to Giza- 2 variety. Also, faba bean cv. Giza- 843 affected negatively seed yield of flax and its attributes. Most of the studied faba bean and flax traits were affected significantly by the interactions. The amount of fatty acids in flax seed was approximately 12.5 to 14.5% saturated (8.3 to 9.2% of palmitic acid and 4.2 to 5.3% of stearic acid) and 81.7 % to 85.2 % unsaturated fatty acids (20.9 to 22.3% of oleic acid, 13.0 to 14.2 % of ώ6 and 47.8 to 48.7% of ώ3). Total unsaturated fatty acids were not affected significantly by ridge width x cropping system x faba bean variety. Land equivalent ratio (LER) ranged from 1.63 for intercropping flax with Giza- 2 variety in ridges 60 cm width to 1.86 for intercropping flax with Giza- 843 variety in ridges 120 cm width. Land equivalent coefficient (LEC) exceeded 0.25. The dominance analysis proved that faba bean and flax plants are dominant and dominated components, respectively. The results show that intercropping flax with faba bean variety Giza- 843 in ridges 120 cm width achieved US$ 608.0 ha-1 compared to solid planting of faba bean variety Giza- 2 in ridges 60 cm width. Intercropping flax with faba bean variety Giza- 843 in ridges 120 cm width decreased number of Orobanche crenata m-2 and achieved high yield, LER and net return without any negative effect on total unsaturated fatty acids of flax seed oil compared to the other treatments.