Open AccessYIELD OF GRAIN LEGUMES INTERCROPPING WITH CEREALS IN THE FLORINA AREA IN GREECE
Author(s) -
Τheodoros Gkalitsas,
T. B. Lazaridou
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
agrofor
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2490-3442
pISSN - 2490-3434
DOI - 10.7251/agreng2003100g
Subject(s) - intercropping , sowing , agronomy , yield (engineering) , grain yield , mathematics , human fertilization , field experiment , biology , metallurgy , materials science
Intercropping of two or more crops in the same area at the same time is an old and commonly used practice that results in the highest overall yield on a given plot, because ofdifferent root growth, height and nutrient requirements of the crops involved. The aim of this study was to determine the possibilities of intercropping grain legumes with cereals for food production for human consumption. The completely randomized design was applied with three replications and the experiment was established in the farm of the Western Macedonia University in Florina (Greece). Particularly, lentils (two varieties) was used as grain legumes, and bread wheat (two varieties) and oat were used as cereals, which were grown individually as well as intercropped with each other in mixed rows in a sowing ratio 50:50. The plots consisted of seven rows five meters long of which the five inner were harvested. A total of 33 experimental plots was installed. The field was fertilized only with base fertilization. During the growing season, the following morphological traits were measured: height and total height, the blooming, as well as the grain yield, the length of spike (cm) and the number of fertile grain/spike. Differences were found between treatments regarding yield as well as the agronomic traits.In most cases the mixtureshad higher yield compared to their respective monocrops.