Document Type : Research articles.
Authors
1
Crop Intensification Research Department, Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt
2
Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum 63514, Egypt
Abstract
A two-year field experiment was carried out at the Demo Experimental Farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, Fayoum Governorate, Egypt, during two summer growing seasons (2018 and 2019) to evaluate the optimal humic acid (HA) rate with appropriate intercropping of sesame with peanut to achieve higher land usage and profitability for farmers. Eighteen treatments were the combinations between three foliar application of HA treatments (0, 4, and 8 g HA l-1 abbreviated as HA0 (without treatment), HA1, and HA2, respectively, and six cropping systems (100% peanut + 100% sesame, 100% peanut + 75% sesame, 100% peanut + 50% sesame, 100% peanut + 25% sesame, 100% peanut, and 100% sesame) as well as their soild patterns for peanut and sesame. The experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with three replicates. Main plots were assigned for HA foliar applications, while cropping systems were randomly distributed in the sub-plots. The results indicated that HA2 had the highest land equivalent ratio (LER) compared to the HA foliar application treatments. The 100% peanut and 100% sesame intercropping system produced the highest LER when compared to the other intercropping systems, with peanut plants as the dominated component and sesame as the dominant component. Intercropping system 100% peanut + 100% sesame with application of HA2 had the highest LER, total, and net returns, alongside the lowest aggressive compared to other treatments. Intercropping system 100% peanut + 100% sesame with application of HA2 had the highest land usage (1.82 and 1.90 in 2018 and 2019 season, respectively) and profitability (54711 EGP feddan-1) compared to solid planting of peanut (6905 EGP feddan-1).
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