Contribution of associated legumes to corn in an intercropping system

 

Gumphol Chaidox

Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900

………………………….

 

Experiments on corn-legume intercropping were conducted at Sri Samrong district, Sukhothai province during July 1989-March 1990.  Treatments were arranged in a split plot design in RCB with four replications.  Main plots were 16-20-0 fertilizers at the rates of 0 (-F) and 30 (+F) kg/rai (30 kg + 6 kg P2O5/rai).  The subplots were:

1) KUSX 2301 corn (C)

2) corn + lablab bean or legume (CLL)  or corn intercropped with lablab bean

3) corn + lablab bean as green manure (CLLgm)

4) corn + lima bean (CLM)

5) corn + lima bean as green manure (CLMgm)

6) corn + black bean (CBB)

7) corn + black bean as green manure (CBBgm)

8) control + rice bean or no corn planting and only rice bean was planted

    (CRB) and

9) control + rice bean as green manure (CRBgm). 

The experiments were conducted in two sites (in Chai Nat soil series and in Kampaeng Saen soil series) during the 1989 rainy season.  To evaluate the residual effect of associated legumes on corn yield in the following dry season, KUSX 2301 corn was planted in the subplots in Chai Nat soil series, while in Kamphaeng Saen soil series the same experiments were repeated as in the 1989 rainy season.

From the 1989 rainy season results, in Chai Nat soil series, greater intercropped/associated-corn grain yields were obtained in corn+rice bean as green manure (CRBgm), corn + lablab as green manure (CLLgm) and corn+black bean as green manure (CBBgm) without fertilization (971, 939 and 922 kg/rai, respectively) as compared to planting corn alone with fertilization at the rate of 30 kg/rai of 16-20-0 (839kg/rai).  In Kamphaeng Saen soil series, the intercropped/associated-corn with rice bean as green manure (CRBgm) and corn + lablab as green manure (CLLgm) without fertilization (yielding 723 and 702 kg/rai, respectively) were promising, out-yielded planting corn alone (C) with fertilization (654 kg/rai).

 

1989 rainy season results

                                                                                      Corn grain yield (kg/rai) in

Treatment                                                Chai Nat series     Kamphaeng Saen  series

 

Under no fertilization

2) corn + lablab bean or legume (CLL)                  -                                   -              

3) corn + lablab bean as green manure (CLLgm) 939                           723

4) corn +lima bean (CLM)                                      -                               -

5) corn +lima bean as green manure (CLMgm)      -                               -

6) corn+black bean (CBB)                                      -                                -

7) corn+black bean as green manure (CBBgm)   922                              -

8) control+rice bean or no corn planting (CRB)     -                                -

9) control+rice bean as green manure (CRBgm)  971                           702

 

Under fertilization with 16-20-0 at 30 kg/rai

1) KUSX 2301 corn (C)                                        839                           654

…………..

Remarks:  - = no data

 

This trial has no unfertilized check without green manure (intercrop), so it is impossible to say whether there is a clear response to fertilizer or to the green manures.

For the dry season, residual effects of the previous cropping systems were observed in Chai Nat soil series as corn planted after the corn+black bean intercropping (CBB) and corn +lima bean intercropping (CLM) without fertilization yielded (805 and 704 kg/rai, respectively) greater than planting corn alone (C) with fertilization (688 kg/rai).  In repeating intercropping in Kamphaeng Saen soil series, corn+black bean as green manure (CBBgm) and corn + lablab as green manure (CLLgm) without fertilization gave statistically different higher grain yields (774 and 721 kg/rai, respectively) than planting corn alone (C) with fertilization (688 kg/rai). 

 

1989/1991 dry season results

                                                                                      Corn grain yield (kg/rai) in

                                                                                

Treatment                                                Chai Nat series     Kamphaeng Saen  series

                                                                                      (Only corn was planted) 

Under no fertilization

2) corn + lablab legume (CLL)                              -                                   -

3) corn + lablab as green manure (CLLgm)          -                                 721                      

4) corn +lima bean (CLM)                                  704

5) corn +lima bean as green manure (CLMgm)    -                                  -

6) corn+black bean (CBB)                                  805                                -

7) corn+black bean as green manure (CBBgm)    -                                774

8) control+rice bean or no corn planting (CRB)   -                                  -

9) control+rice bean as green manure (CRBgm)  -                                  -

 

Under fertilization with 16-20-0 at 30 kg/rai

1) KUSX 2301 corn (C)             with fertilizer   688                              688

…………..

Remarks:  - = no data

 

 

 

Nodule

1