Effect of Intercropping of Zea Maize with Potato Solanum tuberosum, L. on Potato Growth and on the Productivity and Land Equivalent Ratio of Potato and Zea Maize

摘要

This research was carried out during two growing seasons of 2006/2007-2007/2008 in order to determine the effect of intercropping of zea maize (Miert cultivar) with potato (Marfona cultivar) on potato growth and on the productivity and Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) of potato and maize. The results of this research showed that intercropping of maize with potato in the case of equal plant densities (4.76 plant m-2) of both crops caused an increase in the mean length of potato stems, which reached 27.45 cm. Moreover, intercropping of maize of 2.38 plant m-2 led into the increase of the mean weight of potato shoots (fresh and dry) to 227 and 21.28 g plant-1 for fresh and dry weight, respectively, besides the increase of the mean weight of potato tubers, which reached 101 g tuber-1. Results also, showed that the number of potato stems and formed tubers were not affected by intercropping of maize with potato. As for productivity, results indicated that the total productivity of each unit area using intercropping system was higher than the productivity of the sole crop, with superiority of treatments with 2.38 plant m-2 of maize and 4.76 plant m-2 of potato where mean yield of 44 ton ha-1, while, the productivity in the other treatments were 36 and 37.8 ton ha-1. LER showed positive influence using the intercropping system compared to the sole cropping, as it shown in the LER values, which were higher (1.43-1.55) in intercropping compared to (1) in the sole cropping.