Evaluation of Different Cropping Systems for Marginal Uplands in Inopacan, Leyte

Low crop productivity in most marginal uplands is primarily due to poor agro-ecological conditions. There is a need to improve farming practices of upland farmers to improve their quality of life thus, the study was conducted in the marginal uplands of Brgy. Linao, Inopacan, Leyte, Philippines from February to July 2013, to determine the best cropping system that would improve crop productivity and to promote the best cropping system technology to upland farmers. The experimental units were arranged in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The treatments were intercropping (upland rice + mungbean, corn + mungbean) and monocropping (upland rice, corn and mungbean). The growth and yield parameters were not significantly influenced by the cropping systems. Thus, crop growth and development in either intercropping or monocropping schemes were comparable. However, corn + mungbean gave a land equivalent ratio (LER) of 1.53, which means that such cropping system is more productive than growing corn or mungbean as monocrop. On the other hand, growing upland rice alone was more productive than upland rice + mungbean as indicated by a LER of 0.93. Corn + mungbean gave a net income of PhP 8,452.18 per hectare.