Effect of sowing dates and plant density of lupine intercropped with sugar beet on the productivity and economic return [electronic resource].

Includes references.

A field experiment was carried out in Sers El- Layan Research, Station at Menoufia
Governorate, Egypt during 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons to study the effect of three sowing dates
and plant density of lupine intercropped with sugar beet on productivity of sugar beet and lupine. The
experiment consisted of three sowing dates of lupine )D1: at the same time with sugar beet, D2 and D3:
21 and 42 days after sowing sugar beet, respectively( and three lupine plant densities 12.5, 25 and 37.5%
of its pure stand, respectively + 100% sugar beet. A split-plot design with three replicates was used. The
results obtained showed that all studied characters of sugar beet recorded their highest values when lupine
intercropped with sugar beet at D3 in both seasons. On the other hand, lupine characters gave the highest
values at D2 in both seasons. Treatment of (100% sugar beet +12.5% lupine) gave the highest values for
sugar beet characters under study, except TSS% and sucrose% in both seasons. Lupine characters
behaved the same trend of sugar beet characters in both seasons, except lupine seed yield was showed
with P3 (100% sugar beet +37.5% lupine) in both seasons. Sugar beet yield and chemical characters as
well as lupine seed yield were significantly affected by the interaction in both seasons. Treatment of
D2×P3 recorded the highest values for LEC increased by 39and 37% in the first and second seasons,
respectively. Increases in economic return were 14870 and 18598 LE. compared with sugar beet alone in
the first and second seasons, respectively. It can be concluded that, under Menoufia Government
conditions, the maximum land equivalent ratio and economic return were achieved by intercropping of
100% sugar beet + 37.5% lupine after 21 days of planting sugar beet.

Key words: Land equivalent ratio, Land equivalent coefficient, Relative crowding coefficient, Aggressivity, economic return

Summary in Arabic.