Effects of Intercropping Faba Bean on Onion and Wheat With or Without Inoculated Bacteria on Yields of the Three Crops

TWO FIELD experiments were carried out at Mallawi Agric. Res. St. (Middle Egypt) during the two seasons of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 to study the effect of intercropping faba bean on two crops (onion and wheat) and inoculated with bacteria on the yield and its components. A randomized complete block design in a split plot arrangement with three replications was used in both seasons. The main plots were devoted to the cropping systems, while the sub-plots were allocated for two treatments of co-inoculated.
The results showed that plant height, yield and yield components of the three crops (faba bean, onion and wheat) were decreased under intercropping condition. The plant height of intercropped faba bean on wheat was more effect 17.5 cm shorter but with onion was 5.1 cm shorter than sole. The most yield components of intercropped faba bean (no. of branches/plant, plants/m², pods/plant, seeds/pod and seed yield/plant) were decreased which resulted in decreased seed and straw yield/fad. The reduction in seed and straw yield/fad of faba bean were estimated by 32.0 and 7.5% when intercropping on onion and by 68.5 and 36.4% when intercropping on wheat, respectively, compared to solid.
The results show also that seed inoculation with bacteria increased plant height, no. of branches/plant, no. of plants/m², no. of seeds/pod, wt. of 100 seed, and seed and straw yield as compared with uninoculation seeds. The increased in seed and straw yields/fad was 14.0 and 5.7% as compared with uninoculation, respectively. The yield and yield components of intercropped crops (onion and wheat) were decreased when intercropping with faba bean. The reduction in bulb yield of onion was 3.0 and 4.4%, while the reduction in wheat yield was 7.8 and 9.3% with or without inoculated faba bean seeds, respectively. The highest values of land equivalent ratio "LER" (1.59) and monetary advantage index 'MAI' (3636.477) were observed when inoculation faba bean seeds before sown and intercropping on onion. While, the values of competitive ratio (CR) of faba bean were greater when intercropping on onion than those intercropping on wheat.