The Effects of Various Phosphorus Fertilizers on Yield and Yield Components of Maize and Grass Pea Intercropping

In order to investigate the effects of biological and chemical phosphorous fertilizers and various proportions of maize and grass pea intercropping on yield and yield components of both crops, two experiments were conducted simultaneously in Research Farm of Kerman University and commercial convention farm of Bardsir-Dashtkar in 2009-2010. The experimental design at two regions was randomized complete block design with four replications. The investigated factors included four phosphorous levels and five intercropping patterns. The compound analysis of data showed that the effect of location on most plant characteristics was significant. The effect of phosphorous levels and various intercropping patterns on thousand seed weight, seed numbers per row, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index of maize was significantly higher in %75 maize + %25 grass pea and %50 phosphorous biofertilizer + %50 chemical fertilizer treatment and the lowest of aforementioned traits obtained in the sole cropping of maize with no fertilizer treatment. The interaction of various intercropping patterns and phosphorous levels on pod number per plant, seed number per pod, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index of maize was significantly higher in %25 maize+ %75 grass pea and %50 phosphorous biofertilizer + %50 chemical fertilizer treatment. Results showed that LER in all intercropping systems was rather one and the highest LER was detected in %25 maize + % 75grass pea intercropping which indicates that intercropping had advantage over sole crop system. Therefore, this intercropping ratio with 50% biological phosphorous + 50% chemical phosphorous is suggested for Kerman situation.