Productivity and competition relationships of coriander and fenugreek plants as affected by intercropping system and biofertilization rate

Abstract EN

The present work was conducted at the Agriculture Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Egypt for two consecutive winter seasons of 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 aiming to study the effect of using different intercropping systems between coriander and fenugreek, biofertilization rate and their interaction treatments on fruits and volatile oil yields of coriander plant, seed and fixed oil yields of fenugreek plant and total chlorophyll as well as some competitive relationships [land equivalent ratio (LER), area time equivalent ratio (ATER), land utilization efficiency (LUE), relative crowding coefficient (RCC) and aggressivity (A)] of both crops.

The used intercropping system treatments were sole crop of coriander or fenugreek (control), 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 2:1 and 2: 2 rows of coriander and fenugreek, respectively.

Whereas, the used biofertilization rates were 0, 200 and 400 gram of Rhizobium per fad.

The obtained results showed that, using intercropping system of one row of coriander with three rows of fenugreek increased the values of seed and oil yields per plant as well as total chlorophyll (SPAD-unit) of coriander and fenugreek plants.

Furthermore, the maximum increase in this respect was obtained from the treatment of 200 and 400g/faddan of Rhizobium inoculation compared with the other ones under study in the first and second seasons, respectively.

Studying competitive relationships showed that, coriander and fenugreek plants could be intercropped successfully under Sharkia Governorate conditions in order to maximize the land use efficiency.

Generally, the highest values of LER (1.24 and 1.23), ATER (1.17 and 1.15) and LUE % (120.83% and 119.00%) were achieved by the interaction treatment between intercropping system of one row of coriander alternating with three rows of fenugreek (1:3 system) inoculated with 200g and 400g/faddan of Rhizobium inoculation rate in the first and second seasons, respectively.