Evaluation of Yield and Some Root and Morphological Characteristics Response of Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) in Intercropping with Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) under Nitrogen Fertilizer Management

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

• Mohammadnaser Modoodi ¹
• Vahid Shamsabadi ²
• Ebrahim Jahangir Dehborzoui ³

¹ Department of Horticulture Science and Engineering, University of Torbat-e Jam, Torbat-e Jam, Iranran

² Department of Water Sciences and Engineering, University of Torbat-e Jam, Torbat-e Jam, Iran

³ Modabber Kesht-e Toos Agriculture and Livestock Company, Khorasan Razavi, Iran

10.22067/agry.2025.92222.1232

Abstract

Introduction
Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.)  is an annual plant that tolerates salinity and drought from the legume family, which can be used as an alternative product in low-water plains. Considering the characteristics of the guar, such as having the ability to fix nitrogen biologically and a relatively deep root system, high adaptability to drought and poor soils, high competitive power and favourable morphology, it seems that placing it in intercropping, cultivation, can increase the efficiency of the final yield of intercropping crops. Utilizing the intercropping system for plants is an effective measure to improve soil fertility, increase the absorption of nutrients and improve the efficiency of water consumption, and it is considered one of the most important scientific methods to help maintain the stability and balance of the living system of soil. Therefore, this research was carried out with the aim of comparing different patterns of intercropping cultivation of guar next to the roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) with its pure cultivation at different levels of nitrogen fertilizer in the field of Toos Planting Manager Company in Taybad city, located in Polband plain.
 
Materials and Methods
 The experiment was performed as a split plot in the form of a randomized complete block design with two factors and in three replications. The first factor included eight ratios of mixed crops, which were implemented as follows: sole cultivation of guar, one row of guar + one row of roselle, two row of guar + one row of roselle, three row of guar + one row of roselle, one row of guar + two row of roselle, one row of guar + three row of roselle, two row of guar + three row of roselle and three row of guar + two row of roselle. The second factor included nitrogen fertilizer, based on the recommendation of the soil laboratory, at three levels: without giving nitrogen fertilizer (zero kg per hectare) and 50 and 100 percent of the guar's requirement for nitrogen, one half at the time of planting and the other at the time of pod formation.
 
Results and Discussion
The results indicated a significant superiority of sole cultivation of guar treatment in 100 percent of guar's requirement for nitrogen fertilizer in terms of the number of pods per plant and the length of the roots. Nevertheless, in attributes of weight of one hundred seeds and pod length, a significant superiority changed in favour of the treatment of three rows of guar + one row of roselle under conditions of 100 percent of guar's requirement for nitrogen fertilizer. In attributes of shoot dry weight and seed yield, the two treatments of sole cultivation of guar and three rows of guar + one row of roselle, under the condition of providing 100 percent of the nitrogen fertilizer requirement, have a significant advantage and were placed in a statistical group. The study of roselle traits showed that, except for the three-row guar + one-row roselle treatment, all treatment levels of the intercropping arrangement showed the highest sepal dry weight under conditions of 100% fertilizer requirement. However, the results of the land equivalent ratio (LER) trait showed that the only treatment where LER was above one, is the treatment of one row of guar + three rows of roselle, under the condition of providing 50% of the N fertilizer requirement.
 
Conclusion
Based on the results of this research, the only treatment whose intercropping was justifiable is the treatment of one row of guar + three rows of roselle, under the condition of providing 50% of the N fertilizer requirement. Therefore, it seems that this intercropping combination is recommended for farmers who like this type of planting system. Doing intercropping for species with different phenology can increase the productivity of agricultural lands while creating biodiversity and guaranteeing production.
 
Acknowledgements
We hereby express our gratitude and appreciation to Mr. Engineer Jahangir, the respected managing director of Toos Planting Manager Company, who cooperated fully in the implementation and financing of this project.

Keywords

• Land equivalent ratio
• Planting pattern
• Seed yield
• sepal yield

Main Subjects

• Agroecology and Indigenous Knowledge

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Authors retain the copyright.This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

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