Evaluation of relay intercropping of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and faba bean (Vicia faba L.) on their yield and land use efficiency

To evaluate the yield components، yield and land equivalent ratio affected by relay intercropping of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) with faba bean (Vicia faba L.)، a field experiment was arranged based on a randomized complete block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Station Payamenoor University of Nagadeh، Iran during growing reason of 2012-2013. The treatments included row intercropping)one row of sunflower + one row of faba bean (، strip intercropping) two rows of faba bean + four rows of sunflower، four rows of faba bean + two rows of sunflower، three rows of faba bean + three rows of sunflower (and monoculture faba bean and sunflower. The results indicated that the relay intercropping patterns had significant effect on studied traits of sunflower and faba bean (except number of seed per pod of faba bean). The highest seed yield of sunflower (4140 kg/ha) and faba bean (2567. 33 kg/ha) were obtained from row intercropping and the lowest seed yield of sunflower (3136. 67 kg/ha) and faba bean (1957 kg/ha) were obtained in their monoculture. The oil percentage of all intercropping treatments was higher than monoculture. The maximum land equivalent ratio (1. 85) and actual yield loss (1. 74) were calculated in row intercropping and the highest intercropping advantage (1. 25) was achieved in four rows of faba bean + two rows of sunflower. The results showed that the use of relay intercropping results in better utilization of environmental resources and increased crop production compared to monoculture of the same species.