Effect of intercropping wheat with faba bean on some growth characteristics, yield and yield components of faba bean under sandy soil conditions [electronic resource].

Includes references.

Two field experiments were carried out at the Experimental Station Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, EI-Bostan region, EI- Behera Governorate, Egypt during 200912010 and 2010/2011 seasons. This study aimed to investigate the effect of inter cropping four Egyptian wheat varieties (Giza 168, Sakha 94, Gemmiza 9 and Sids 1) with faba bean under four intercropplng patterns on some growth characteristics, yield as well as yield components of faba bean Sakha 1 cultlvar in sandy soil conditions. The four intercropping patterns were: faba bean sale cropping as well as faba bean intercropped with wheat at the three wheat plant densities (300, 350 and 400 grains m-2) In alternate single rows (1:1). A split-plot design with four replications was used in each experiment The wheat varieties occupied the main plots while the intercropping patterns were arranged in the sub-plots. Wheat varieties had highly significant effect on number of days to maturity stage (in both seasons) and of number of pods plant -1 (in the 1$f season), while the other studied traits were insignificantly affected by wheat varieties, in both seasons. Inter cropping wheat variety Sids 1 with faba bean resulted in the highest values of number of days to maturity stage, number of branches plant -1, number of pads plant -1, number of seeds poc/1, weight of seeds plant -1 and 10o-seed weight (in both seasons), and seed yield ha-1 of faba bean (In the 2nd season), while the lowest values of these traits were obtained from the Intercropping of wheat variety Giza 168 with faba bean in both seasons. Intercropping faba bean with wheat at the three tested seeding rates significantly Increased plant height but significantly decreased the rest characters studied of faba bean as compared with faba bean sale cropping In the two seasons. Inter cropping faba bean with wheat seeded at the rate of 300 grains m-2 significantly increased all studied traits with exception plant height and 100- seed weight as compared with the intercropping of faba bean with wheat seeded at 350 and 400 grains m-2 in both seasons. There was a significant effect of the interaction between wheat varieties and intercropping patterns in the 1st season on the number of days to maturity stage of faba bean. The earliest maturity faba bean plants were obtained when faba bean plants were inter cropped with wheat variety Giza 168 seeded at 400 grains m-2. The results obtained from this study emphasizes the possibility of intercropping faba bean (Sakha 1 cultivar) at plant density of 166667 plants ha-1 with wheat plants seeded at a rate of 300 grains m-2 in alternative single rows (1:1); 20 cm apart, under sandy soil conditions of El-Bostan Region, El-Behera Governorate, which gave a substantial taba bean productivity (about 85% ot faba bean sole cropping, as an average ot both seasons) and an additional wheat grain yield. Key words: Faba bean, Wheat, Growth characters, Seed yield, Yield components, Intercropping patterns.

Summary in Arabic.

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