Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems E-ISSN: 1870-0462 [email protected] Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán México Morales-Rosales, Edgar Jesús; Franco-Mora, Omar BIOMASS, YIELD AND LAND EQUIVALENT RATIO OF Helianthus annus L. IN SOLE CROP AND INTERCROPPED WITH Phaseolus vulgaris L. IN HIGH VALLEYS OF MEXICO Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, vol. 10, núm. 3, septiembre-diciembre, 2009, pp. 431-439 Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán Mérida, Yucatán, México Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=93912996011 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 10 (2009): 431 - 439 BIOMASS, YIELD AND LAND EQUIVALENT RATIO OF Helianthus annus L. IN SOLE CROP AND INTERCROPPED WITH Phaseolus vulgaris L. IN HIGH VALLEYS OF MEXICO Tropical and [BIOMASA, RENDIMIENTO Y USO EQUIVALENTE DE LA TIERRA DE Helianthus annus L. EN UNICULTIVO Y ASOCIADO CON Phaseolus vulgaris Subtropical L. EN VALLES ALTOS DE MÉXICO] Agroecosystems Edgar Jesús Morales-Rosales* and Omar Franco-Mora Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados en Fitomejoramiento, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México. Carretera Toluca- Ixtlahuaca Km. 15 C. P. 50200. Toluca, Estado de México. E-mail: [email protected] *Corresponding author SUMARY RESUMEN The aim of the present study was to estimate the El objetivo del presente estudio fue estimar la production of biomass, yield, yield components and producción de biomasa total, rendimiento, land equivalent ratio (LER) of sunflower ‘Victoria’ componentes y razón equivalente de la tierra (RET) de (Helianthus anuuss L.) in sole crop and intercropped girasol ‘Victoria’ (Helianthus annuus L.) en unicultivo with three cultivars of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) y asociado con tres cultivares de frijol (Phaseolus ‘Acerado’, ‘Criollo’ and ‘Michoacán’ in two localities vulgaris L.) ‘Acerado’, ‘Criollo’ y ‘Michoacán’ en dos of the State of Mexico (El Cerrillo and Montecillo). To localidades del Estado de México (Cerrillo y estimate the LER, the individual analyses of variance Montecillo). Para estimar la RET, se efectuó en cada were carried out in each locality for the seed yield of localidad el análisis de varianza individual para el sunflower and bean. In El Cerrillo, the seed yield on rendimiento de semilla de girasol y frijol. El Cerrillo the average (306.8 g m-2) surpassed Montecillo by (306.8 g m-2) superó en promedio a Montecillo en el 15.2%. On the average in the both sites, ‘Victoria’ rendimiento de semilla en 15.2%. ‘Victoria’ (309.9 g (309.9 g m-2) surpassed in seed yield the associations m-2) superó en promedio a las asociaciones ‘Victoria’ ‘Victoria’ + ‘Acerado’ (13.0%), ‘Victoria’ + + ‘Acerado’ (13.0%), ‘Victoria’ + ‘Michoacán’ ‘Michoacán’ (11.5%) and ‘Victoria’ + ‘Criollo’ (11.5%) y ‘Victoria’ + ‘Criollo’ (9.2%). Todas las (9.2%). All of the intercropping systems showed asociaciones mostraron valores de RET superiores a values of LER higher than 1.67; moreover, the 1.67. Asimismo, las asociaciones ‘Victoria’ + associations ‘Victoria’ + ‘Michoacán’ and ‘Victoria’ + ‘Michoacán’ y ‘Victoria’ + ‘Criollo’ presentaron ‘Criollo’ presented values of 1.80 at El Cerrillo and valores de 1.80 en ambas localidades, lo anterior Montecillo, respectively, the sunflower intercropped indica que el girasol asociado con ‘Michoacán’, with ‘Michoacán’, ‘Criollo’ or ‘Acerado’ represents a ‘Criollo’ o ‘Acerado’ representa una buena opción good option for the farmers of the high valleys of State para los agricultores de los valles altos del Estado de of Mexico. México. Key words: Competition; complementary; multiple Palabras clave: Competencia; complementación; crops. cultivos múltiples. INTRODUCTION because it guarantees bean own-consumption and good economic income with the sunflower production In the high valleys of the central zone of Mexico, (Morales et al., 2006). multiple crops are widely used by the farmers of the region, mainly because of the lack of land ownership The competition generated by plant species sharing the and to the roughness of the topography. Since before same space is defined as a process through which the the Conquest, the associated crops have been used in crops limit the resource mutually in such a way that it this country, especially the intercropping of maize does not satisfy its demand (nutritional, physiological (Zea mays L.) with annual legumes. The combination etc.), thus generating a reduction in the survival, of sunflower with bean is attractive for the producers, growth and yield of the individual plants of the crop or 431 Morales-Rosales and Franco-Mora, 2009 its reproduction (Kruk and Satorre, 2003). In Texcoco, Mexico, when ‘Victoria’ sunflower was Complementary effects occur when each species evaluated in two planting systems (sole crop and growing next to another does not experience a intercropped with bean) the yield and yield negative effect in its growth and development. In components of sunflower did not show significant relation to the available resources, complementary differences (Morales et al., 2006). In other trial, the effect implies that the capture of the limiting resources harvest index and plant height were affected when the is higher and therefore their use is more effective in sunflower was associated to soybean (Glycine max the intercropped species with respect to the sole crop (L.) Merr.) and mungo bean (Vigna mungo L.). In (Maddonni and De la Fuente, 2003). contrast, the variables of stem diameter, capitulum diameter, seeds per capitulum and weight of 100 seeds The Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) is the sum of the were not significantly reduced (Ibrar et al., 2002). fractions of the intercropped yields divided by the sole-crop yield. LER is calculated using the equation In the combined system sunflower – peanut (Arachis LER = Σ (Ypi/Ymi), where Yp is the yield of each hipogaea L.), no significant statistical differences crop or variety in the intercrop or polyculture, and Ym were detected on number of seeds per capitulum, the is the yield of each crop or variety in the sole crop or percentage of filled seeds, the seed yield and weight of monoculture. For each crop (i) a ratio is calculated to 100 seeds, respect to the sole crop. The LER obtained determine the partial LER for that crop, the partial was 1.45 (Sahoo et al., 2003). LERs are summed to give the total LER for the intercrop (Darish et al., 2006). A LER value of 1.0, The aim of the present study was to evaluate the total indicates no difference in yield between the intercrop biomass, seed yield, yield components and land and the collection of monocultures (Mazaheri and equivalent ratio of the ‘Victoria’ sunflower in sole Moveysi, 2004). Any value greater than 1.0 indicates a crop and intercropped with three cultivars of bean yield advantage for intercrop. A LER of 1.2 for (‘Acerado’, ‘Criollo’ and ‘Michoacán’) in two example, indicates that the area planted to highlands of Mexico (El Cerrillo and Montecillo). monocultures would need to be 20% greater than the area planted to intercrop for the two species to produce MATERIAL AND METHODS the same combined yields. In a sense, the LER measures the levels of intercrop interference going on The study was carried out during the spring-summer in the cropping system. Theoretically, if the agro cycle of 2006 in two localities of the State of Mexico. ecological characteristics of each crop in mixture are El Cerrillo is located at 19º 14’ N and 99º 42’ W; 2640 exactly the same, the total LER should be 1.0 and the m altitude. It has an average rainfall of 800 mm and partial LERs should be 0.5 for each. A total LER of 12.7º C mean annual temperature. The pH of the soil is higher that 1.0 indicates the presence of positive 6.5 with a medium level of nitrogen (55 kg N ha-1), interferences among the varieties or crops components with 2.7% organic matter. Montecillo is located at 19º of the mixture, an also mean that any negative 29’ N and 98º 54’ W, with an altitude of 2240 m, interspecific interference that exists in the mixture is average annual rainfall of 558.5 mm and mean not as intensive as the intraspecific interference that monthly temperature of 15 ºC; the soil had a pH of 7.8 exists in the monoculture. Avoidance of competition with an initial content of organic matter of 3.8 and 47 or partitioning of resources is probably occurring in kg N ha-1 in inorganic form. the mixture (Willey and Osiru, 1981). During the development of the crop, it was recorded Some investigators have reported studies where daily the maximum and minimum temperature as well sunflower is intercropped with other species. Legumes as the rainfall, then an average (mean decennial) and a (annual) were sown with sunflower at the same time sum decennial was determined, respectively. and at growth stages V4 and V10 (4 and 10 developed leaves, respectively) of sunflower, concluding that the To estimate the total biomass, seed yield and yield legumes sown at the same time significantly reduced components of sunflower in sole crop and intercropped the production of biomass and the seed yield of the with bean, the following treatments were considered in sunflower, as a result of the competition for resources each locality: ‘Victoria’ sunflower in sole crop and the between the component species of the association. On three intercropped systems ‘Victoria’ + ‘Criollo’, the other hand, when sowing was carried out in growth ‘Victoria’ + ‘Acerado’ and ‘Victoria’ + ‘Michoacán’ stages V4 and V10, the competition for the resources bean. To estimate the LER in addition to the was lower and therefore the production of dry matter mentioned treatments, at the same time and the two and the seed yield of the sunflower did not differ localities, beans ‘Criollo’, ‘Acerado’ and ‘Michoacán’ significantly from the control (Kandel et al., 1997).