Research on the productivity of maize intercropped with common bean in two spatial arrangements, in the organic agriculture system

Summary

The researches was oriented towards studying the productivity and land equivalent ratio of maize and bean in intercropping, in two spatial arrangements, in the ecological agriculture conditions.
The experiment was carried out in Moara Domnească Experimental Field, on redish preluvosoil, in randomised blocks in 4 replications. It was sown an simple, early maize hybrid (Zea mays - DK 391) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris – Diva variety).
Maize was sown at 70 cm between rows and 28,6 cm between plants per row, at a density of 5 plants/m2. Bean was sown between maize plants at a density of 4 plants/m2 and between maize rows at a density of 12 plants/m2.
Average grain yield for maize in monoculture was 5044.2 kg/ha and in the first spatial arrangement was 184,1 kg/ha, higher than the maize from the second spatial arrangement.
In monoculture, bean yield was 1361 kg/ha and in intercropping with maize, in the first spatial arrangement, it was obtained 791 kg/ha. In the second spatial arrangement of maize-bean intercropping yield decreased by only 149 kg.
The value of the land equivalent ratio (LER) ranged between 1.3 for the first spatial arrangement of the maize-bean intercropping and 1.75 for the second arrangement.