The Evaluation of Planting Direction on the Consumption of Resources and Soil Nutrients in Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) and Cow Pea (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Intercropping

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• elham vaziri
• Mehdi Dahmradeh
• ,Issa Khammari

Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.

10.22067/agry.2022.77648.1117

Abstract

Introduction
Agriculture plays an essential role in providing food, and in order to achieve sustainability in the agricultural sector, resources must be used in the best possible way. In order to achieve the maximum possible yield, it is necessary for the crop plant to use the environmental factors, water, nutrients, light, and carbon dioxide, with the maximum possible efficiency. The maximum use of the required factors for growth is achieved only when the plant community exerts maximum pressure on these factors. In general, intercropping is one of the ways to achieve sustainable agriculture, with higher yields without increasing agricultural inputs, absorption, and environmental factors productivity. Researchers for the intercropping of corn and mung bean have reported that the mixed cultivation systems used environmental resources more effectively compared to the sole cropping of corn and mung bean. For this reason, nowadays, many plants, especially legumes, are cultivated in an intercropping form due to their ability to fix nitrogen. Due to the lack of resources regarding the effect of planting direction on plant yield, this study was conducted in order to evaluate resources and soil nutrients by changing the planting direction and replacing the intercropping system of the sunflower with cowpea.
Materials and Methods
This research was conducted in the field of the Agricultural Research Station of Zabol University during 2015-2016. The experiment was performed as a split-plot based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Research Farm of the Agricultural Research Institute of Zabol University.  The main factor was two levels of planting direction (North-South and East-West), and the secondary factor was intercropping system in five levels, including (100% pure sunflower), (100% pure cowpea ), (50% sunflower + 50% cowpea ) (25% cowpea  + 75% sunflower) and (75 % cowpea  + 25%sunflower) were considered. Data for studied traits were measured as follows: radiation, temperature, volumetric humidity, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, and the land equality ratio.  Statistical analysis including, analysis of variance and mean comparisons (least significant difference (LSD) test at the 5% level), were applied to evaluated traits.
Results and Discussion
The maximum absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was in the east-west cultivation direction (77.90%) compared to the north-south treatment, which was 24.6% more than the north-south direction. The analysis of variance indicated that the cultivation direction and intercropping systems on the amount of phosphorus in the soil after harvest were significant at 1% probability level. The comparison of means treatments showed that the amount of phosphorus in the soil in the direction of east-west cultivation was 15% higher compared to the direction of north-south cultivation.
The highest amount of soil potassium was obtained in the east-west treatment and the intercropping system of 50% sunflower plus 50% cowpea (24.7 ppm). The lowest amount of soil potassium (16.15 ppm) was obtained in the treatment of east-west cultivation and the intercropping system of 75% sunflower plus 25% cowpea. The relative advantage of intercropping is expressed by the land equivalent ratio. The increase in the ratio of equal land per unit shows the relative usefulness of intercropping compared to sole cropping of each of the mixed components. The comparison of means of the intercropping system showed that among the treatments, the mixture of 75% sunflower plus 25% cowpea had the highest land equivalent ratio (2.54).
Conclusion
It seems that in order to maintain humidity make maximum use of limited water resources, and obtain high yield, the intercropping system of 75% sunflower plus 25% cowpea and planting direction the prevailing wind of the region (east-west) should be suitable for this region and regions with similar climate and windy conditions.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the chairman and the respected staff of the Agricultural Research Institute of Zabul University, who sincerely accompanied us in the implementation of this thesis.







 




 
 

Keywords

• Land equivalent ratio
• PAR
• Soil temperature
• Soil moisture

Main Subjects

• Resource Use Efficiency in Agriculture

---

©2023 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source.

References

1. Allahdadi, M., Shakiba, M.R., Dabbagh Mohammadi Nasab, A., & Amini, R., (2013). Evaluation of yield and advantages of soybean (Glycine max) Merrill.) and calendula (Calendula officinalis L.) intercropping systems. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Production Science, 23(3), 47-58. (In Persian with English abstract)
2. Amini Machiani, M., Javanmard, A., Morshedloo, M.R., & Maggi, F., (2018). Evaluation of competition, essential oil quality and quantity of peppermint intercropped with soybean. Industrial Crops and Products, 111, 743-754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2017.11.052
3. Dahmardeh, M., (2010). The study of ecophysiological aspects of maize crop and bean pollen production on the quality and quantity of single wheat maize forage. 704. Ph.D. dissertation of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Zabol University, Iran. (In Persian with English abstract)
4. Du, H., Wang, T., Xue, X., & Li, S., (2018). Modelling of sand/dust emission in Northern China from 2001 to 2014. Geoderma 330,162-17. https://org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.05.038
5. Ernon, I., (1998). Principles and operations of agriculture in arid, Small, AS, & Soltani, A. (Translator), Publishing Agricultural Education (In Persian)
6. Eskandari, H., & Ghanbari, A., (2011).Evaluation of competition and complementary components of maize (Zea mays) and Vigna sinensis beans on nutrient utilization. Journal of Agricultural Science and Sustainable Production, 21(2),75-68.
7. Eskandari,, & Ghanbari, A., (2011). Evaluation of competition and corn (Zea mays L.) and cowpea (Vignu sinesis L.) intercropping for nutrient consumption. Journal of Agricultural Science and Sustainable Production, 21(2), 67-75. (In Persian with English abstract)
8. Farzin, P.A., Hosseinpanahi, F., & Alizadeh, Y., (2016). Evaluation the effect of different planting combinations on radiation absorption and use efficiency in sesame and chickpea intercropping in an additive series. Ecological Agriculture, 6(1), 81-97. (In Persian)
9. Gonias, E.D., Oosterhuis, D.M., & Bibi, A.C., (2011). Light interception and radiation use efficiency of okra and normal leaf cotton isolines. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 72, 217-222.
10. Habibi,, Motesharezadeh, B., & Alikhani, H.A., 2017. Effect of biochar and biological treatments on nutrient elements content (P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe and Mn) of Amaranthus in oil polluted soil. Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research, 48(2), 369-384. (In Persian with English abstract)
11. Ibrahim, M., Ayub, M., Maqbool, M.M., Nadeem, S.M., Tanver-Ul-Haq, T., Hussain, S., Ali, A., & Lauriault, L.M., (2014). Forage yield components of irrigated maize-legume mixtures at varied seed ratios. Field Crops Research, 169, 140-144.
12. Kheirabadi, H., Mahmoodabadi, M., Jalali, V., & Naghavi, H., (2018). Sediment flux, wind erosion and net erosion influenced by soil bed length, wind velocity and aggregate size Geoderma, 323, 22-30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.02.042
13. Kremer, R.J., & Kussman. R.J., (2011). Soil quality in a pecan–kura clover alley cropping system in the Midwestern USA. Agroforest System, 93, 213 -223.
14. Mahanta,, Rai, R.K., Mishra, S.D., Raja, A., Purakayastha, T.J., & Varghese, E., (2014). Influence of phosphorus and biofertilizers on soybean and wheat root growth and properties. Field Crops Research, 166, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcr.2014.06.016
15. Mansori, H., Mansori, L., Jamshidi, K., Rastgo, M., & Moradi, R., (2013). Absorption and efficiency of light use in additive intercropping bean and maize in zanjan region. Journal of Crop Production and Processing, 3(9), 15-26.
16. Moghbeli, T., Bolandnazar, S., Panahande, J., & Raei, Y., (2019). Evaluation of yield and its components on onion and fenugreek intercropping ratios in different planting densities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 213, 634-641. https://org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.12.138
17. Moradi, R., Koocheki, A., & Nasiri Mahallati, M., (2017). Evaluation of economical yield and radiation use efficiency of maize and cotton in sole and intercropping systems as affected by different levels of Nitrogen. Journal of Crop Production and Processing, 7 (2), 47-59. (In Persian with English abstract). https://org/10.18869/acadpub.jcpp.7.2.47
18. Morales, R.E.J., Escalante, E.J.A., Sosa, C.L., & Volke, H.V.H., (2009). Biomass, yield and land equivalent ratio of (Helianthus annus L) in sole crop and intercropped with (Phaseolus vulgaris) in high valleys of Mexico. Tropical and Subtropical Agro Ecosystems, 10, 431 – 439.
19. Nasser Alavi, S.M., & Shamsuddin Saeed, M., 2008. Effect of planting direction and density on grain yield and seed sorghum in Bam. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 12 (45): 97-91.
20. Olsen, S.R., & Sommers, L.E., (1982). Phosphorus. pp. 416-418. Methods of soil analysis, part2. Agron. Monggr. 9.2^nd ASA and SSSA, Madiso, WI.
21. Parsa-Motlagh, B., Mahmoodi, S., Sayyari-Zahan, M. & Naghizadeh, M., (2016). Effect of mycorrhizal fungi and phosphorus fertilizer on concentration of leaf nutrients and photosynthetic pigments of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) under salinity stress condition. Journal of Agroecology, 3(2), 233-244. (In Persian with English abstract)
22. Poggio, S.L., 2005. Structure of weed communities occurring in monoculture and intercropping of field pea and barley. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment, 109, 48-58.
23. Rahmati, E., Khalesro, S., & Heidari, G., (2020). Improving quantitative and qualitative yield of black cumin (Nigella sativa) in intercropping with fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.). Journal of Agroecology, 11(4), 1261-1273. (In Persian with English abstract). https://doi/ 20.1001.1.20087713.1398.11.4.5.6
24. Rajaii, M., Dahmardeh, M., Khammari, I., & Keshtegar, B., (2018). The effect of planting pattern and vermicompost on the changes in soil nutrients and use of environmental resources in intercropping of corn (Zea mays), peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and borage (Borago officinalis L.). Journal of Agroecology, 10(2), 547-564. (In Persian with English abstract). https://doi/10.22067/jag.v10i2.62071
25. Rezvani Moghaddam, P., & Seyedi, M., (2014). The role of organic and biological fertilizers in phosphorus and potassium uptake by Nigella sativa. Horticultural Sciences, 28 (1), 43-53. (In Persian with English abstract). https://org/10.22092/ijmapr.2014.6196
26. Rigi, F., Dahmardeh, M., Khammari, I., & Bagheri, R., (2020). The effect of optimum nitrogen management and planting directions on eco morphological characteristics, yield and yield components of roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa). Journal of Agronomy, 11(4), 1357-1374. https://doi/10.22067/jag.v11i4.74229
27. Saudy, H.S., & Elmetwally, I.M., (2009). Weed management under different patterns of sunflower–soybean intercropping. Journal of Central European Agriculture, 10, 41-52.
28. Seyed Sharifi, R., & Namvar, A, (2015). Bio fertilizers in agronomy. University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ph.D. Dissertation, P, 280. (In Persian with English abstract)
29. Sharifi, S., Remurodi, M., Nasiri Mahallati, M., Golvi, M., & Kamali, G., (2017). Study of moisture and crop production in various climates of Iran. Journal of Agricultural Science and Sustainable Production, 27 (1), 120-104.
30. Shobeiri, S. S., Habibi, D., Kashani, A., Pak Nejad, F., Jafari, H., & Lamei, J., (2011). Study of dry forage yield and quality of hairy vetch and triticale in pure stand and mixed cropping. Crop Science, 13, 269-281.
31. Sirjani, E., Sameni, A., Moosavi, A., Mahmoodabadi, M., & Laurent, B., (2019). Portable wind tunnel experiments to study soil erosion by wind and its link to soil properties in the Fars province, Ir Geoderma, 333, 69-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2018.07.012
32. Tsubo, M., Walker, S., & Mukhala, E., 2011. Comparisons of radiation use efficiency of mono-/inter-cropping systems with different row orientations. Field Crops Research, 71, 17-29.
33. Weisanny,, Raei, Y., Zehtab-Salmasi, S., Sohrabi, Y. & Ghassemi-Golezani, K., (2016). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi induced changes in rhizosphere, essential oil and mineral nutrients uptake in dill/common bean intercropping system. Annals of Applied Biology, 1-14.
34. Zhanga,, Hua, J., Bai, J.F., Qin, H., Wang, J., Wang, J. & Lin, X., (2019). Intercropping with sunflower and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi promotes growth of garlic chive in metal-contaminated soil at a WEEE- recycling site. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 167, 376-384.