Evaluation of Some Ecophysiological Properties of Maize S.C 704 in Additive Intercropping with Mungbean

Since improving the efficiency of environmental resources utilization in intercropping is one of the essential strategies for achieving sustainable agriculture, Therefore, in order to assess some ecophysiological properties of maize S.C 704 in additive intercropping with mungbean, an experiment was conducted.  

The experiment was based on randomized complete block design with six treatments and four replications in Dezful region during the summer of 2018. Experimental treatments consisted of different additive intercroppingof maize-mungbean intercropping (adding 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% of optimum density of mungbean to optimum maize density) and a pure stand of maize (control).  

The results showed that the effect of different maize -mungbean additive intercropping treatments on leaf area index, leaf area duration, light absorption, crop growth rate, dry matter accumulation and light use efficiency was significant. But the relative growth rate was not significantly affected by the treatments. In this study, with increasing in mungbean density, the evaluated traits in all intercropping treatments were higher than that of pure maize. However, the additive intercropping treatment of maize+40% mungbean utilized higher leaf area index (5.28), leaf area duration (217 LAI-day), absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (18.12 MJ/m2), Crop growth rate (30.14 g/m2/day) and relative growth rate (0.0838 g/g/day) compared to the other treatments, resulting in the highest dry matter accumulation (1996.50 g/m2) and consequently the highest radiation use efficiency (2.91 g/mJ).  

In general, maize+40% mungbean treatment can be introduced as the best maize-mungbean additive intercropping system, regarding environmental resources consumption and dry matter production.