Comparison of quantity and quality sunflower yield in sole cropping and intercropping with bean / soybean in Hamedan condition

Sustainable agriculture is the act of farming based on an understanding of ecosystem services, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. One of the key strategies in sustainable agriculture is diversity restoration to agricultural environments and its effective management. Intercropping is an effective way of sustainable agriculture. Intercropping, which is defined as growing two or more species simultaneously in the same field during a growing season, is considered as one important strategy in developing sustainable production systems, particularly systems that aim to limit external inputs such as chemical fertilizer and herbicide. Compared to sole crops, intercropping system have higher utilization of resource i.e., nutrient use efficiency, water use efficiency, and land use efficiency.

In order to comparison of quantity and quality of sunflower yield in sole cropping and intercropping with bean / soybean, an experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bu-Ali Sina, during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. Experiment was conducted as randomized complete block design with three replications. Experimental treatment were different planting patterns including sunflower, bean and soybean sole cropping with and without weeding, additive intercropping of 30, 60 and 90% bean, as well as 30, 60 and 90% soybean with sunflower. Evaluated traits of crops including grain yield, protein and oil percent and yield and grain phosphor and potassium. Intercropping systems was evaluated by using land equivalent ratio (LER) index.

Experimental results showed that all three crops' grain yield has were affected by planting patterns. The highest sunflower, bean and soybean grain yield (3480, 3025 and 3158 Kg Ha-1, respectively) was achieved at sole cropping with weeding. Results also indicated that intercropping decreased grain yield. Moreover, the highest sunflower, bean and soybean protein and oil yield and grain phosphor and potassium were belonged to sole cropping with weeding of this crops. However, land equivalent ratio at intercropping patterns with 60 and 90% bean and soybean were more than 1 that showed advantage of intercropping. Totally, the findings of this study demonstrated that according to land equivalent ratio index, intercropping of sunflower and legumes (bean and soybean) in most treatments were more beneficial than sole cropping.

The results of this study showed that, intercropping systems decreased sunflower, bean and soybean grain yield in comparison with sole cropping with weeding treatment but, in general, in the most of the treatments, sunflower-legume (bean and soybean) intercropping was better than their sole cropping and associated with improving economic yield and land use efficiency.