The effect of cropping pattern and manure rates on competitive indices and yield of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) and garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Document Type : original paper

Authors

1 Department of Agronomy, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

2 Department of Agronomy, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Background and objectives
Intercropping is cultivation of two or more crops in a land in a growing season that the important goal of this is optimal use of growth resources and labors. The most important advanteges of intercropping is higher yield in a certain land by using the various traits such as canopy structure, the ability of root development, height, nutritional needs and efficient use of growth resources. The studies show that the responses of plant species were different in intercropping and monoculture cropping systems. The present research aimed to investigate the planting pattern and different levels of manure on competitive power and agronomic traits of garlic and spinach.
Materials and Methods
This experiment was conducted as split plot based on completely randomized block design with three replications at the Agricultural Research Station, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, during growing season of 2011-2012. The treatments were manure rates at three levels (0, 10 and 20 ton.ha-1) in main plots and 6 cropping systems (garlic and spinach monocultures and garlic-spinach intercropping with 1:1, 2:2, 3:3 and 4:4 ratio) in sub plots. Studied traits were included in height, fresh and dry weight of spinach and garlic, Land Equivalent Ratio, Aggressivity Coefficient and Competition Ratio.

Results
The results indicated that with increasing manure level to 20 ton per hectare, spinach fresh weight increased, significantly but this trend wasn’t observed in spinach dry weight. Also with changing cropping pattern, dry and fresh weight of spinach was affected, significantly. The highest dry and fresh weight of spinach was observed in garlic and spinach intercropping with 4:4 ratio. The investigation of interaction effect of planting pattern and manure showed that the highest fresh and dry weight of spinach were obtained in garlic and spinach intercropping with 1:1 and 4:4 ratio under 20 ton per hectare manure, respectively. The lowest spinach dry weight was in garlic and spinach intercropping with 3:3 ratio under 20 ton per hectare manure. Garlic dry and fresh weight wasn’t affected by manure rates, but cropping pattern affected dry and fresh weight of garlic, significantly. The highest fresh and dry weight of garlic was obtained in garlic monoculture without manure.In studied intercropping systems, land equivalent ratio (LER) was more of one. The highest LER was obtained in intercropping with 3:3 ratio without manure
Conclusions
In general, the best treatment for Aggressivity Coefficient, Competition Ratio and Land Equivalent Ratio was obtained in garlic and spinach intercropping with 1:1 ratio and 20 ton per hectare manure.

Keywords

Main Subjects


1.Abanda, D., Musch, M., Tschiersch, J., Boettne, M. and Schawb, W. 2006. Molecular interaction betweenmethylobacterium extorquens and seedling: growth promotion, methanol consumption and localization of the methanol emission site. J. Exp. Bot.57: 15. 4025-4032.
2.Amraei, B., Paknejad, F., Ebrahimi, M.A. and Sobhanian, H. 2017. Effects of methanol spraying on some biochemical and physiological characteristics of soybean (Glycine max L.) under drought stress. Plant Env. Physiol. J. 12: 45. 81-94. (In Persian)
3.Armand, N., Amiri, H. and Ismaili, A. 2016. Interaction of methanol spray and water deficit stress on photosynthesis and biochemical characteristics of Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Sadry. Photochem. Photobiol. 92: 1. 102-110.
4.Asgari, A.A. and Moinfard, A. 2014. The effect of alcohol foliar application on as a modern application in agriculture. Proceedings of 1st National Congress of Biology and Natural Sciences of Iran. Tehran, Iran. (In Persian)
5.Badger, P.C. 2002. Ethanol from cellulose: A general review. In: Janick, J., Whipkey, A. (eds) Trends in New Crops and New Uses. ASHS, Alexandria, 17p.
6.Baradaran Firouzabadi, M., Parsaeiyan, M. and Baradaran Firouzabadi, M. 2018. Agronomic and physiological response of Nigella sativa L. to ascorbate and methanol foliar application in water deficit stress. Plant Ecophysiol. J.9: 13-27. (In Persian)
7.Benson, A.A. 1951. Identification of ribulose in 14CO2 photosynthetic products. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 73: 2971.
8.Bitarafan, N., Gholami, A., Abbas Dokht, H., Baradaran, M. and Khalighi Sigaroodi, F. 2017. Effects of Vermicompost and Mycorrhiza Fungi on Growth Characteristics, Essential oil and Yield of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.).
J. Agroeco. 9: 1. 102-114. (In Persian)
9.Boscaiu, M., Sanchez, M., Bautista, I., Donat, P., Lidon, A., Llinares, J., Llul, C., Mayoral, O. and Vicente, O. 2010. Phenolic compounds and stress markers in plants from gypsum habitats. Bulletin Univ. Agri. Sci. Vet. 67: 44-49.
10.Chang, C., Yang, M., Wen, H. and Chern, J. 2002. Estimation of total flavonoid content in propolis by twocomplementary colorimetric methods.J. Food Drug Anal. 10: 178-182.
11.Ebrahimzadeh, M.A., Pourmorad, F. and Hafezi, S. 2008. Antioxidant activities of Iranian corn silk. Turkish J. Biol.
32: 1. 43-49.
12.Fsles, F.W. 1951. The assimilation and degradation of carbohydrates of yeast cells. J. Biol. Chem. 193: 113-116.
13.Handel, E. 1968. Direct microdetemination of sucrose. Anal. Biochem. 22: 280-283.
14.Hosseinzadeh, S.R., Paknejad, F., Ilkaei, M. and Ahmadpour, R. 2018. Responses of lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) root to foliar application of methanol under water deficit stress. J. Crop Ecophysiol. 12: 1. 1-20. (In Persian)
15.Hossinzadeh, S.R., Salimi, A., Ganjeali, A. and Ahamadpour, R. 2015. Effect of foliar application of methanol on biochemical characteristics and antioxidant enzyme activity of chickpea (cicer arietinum L.) under drought stress. Plant physio. Biochem. 31: 1. 17-30.
16.Ivanova, E.G., Dornina, N.V., Shepelyakovskaya, A.O., Laman, A.G., Brovko, F.A. and Trotsenko, Y.A. 2001. Facultative and obligate aerobic methylobacteria synthesize cytokinin.J. Microbiol. 69: 646-651.
17.Jafari Marandi, S. and Majd, A. 2009. The Effect of alcoholic (ethanol-methanol) treatments on ontogeny vegetative meristem, formation of flower of parts, changing in the number of shoot flowers, the number of flowers, ontogeny embryo and possibility to delay aging and drooping in Dianthus caryophullus L. J. Dev. Biol. 1: 1. 9-14. (In Persian)
18.Khosravi, M.T., Mehrafarin, A., Naghdibadi, H., Hajiaghaee, R. and Khosravi, E. 2011. Effect of methanol and ethanol application on yield of Echinacea Purpurea L. in Karaj region. J. Herb. Drug. 2: 2. 121-128. (In Persian)
19.Madhayan, T., Poonguzhali, S. and Sundaram, S.P. 2006. A new insight in to foliar applied methanol influencing phylloplane methylotrophic dynamics and growth promotion of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.). Env. Exp. Bot. 57: 168-176.
20.Makhdum, I.M., Nawaz, A. and Shabab, M. 2002. Physiological response of cotton to methanol foliar application.
J. Res. Sci. 13: 1. 37-43.
21.Mirshokraei, A., Yavari, I. and Seyedi Esfehani, A. 2012. Organic Chemistry. Tehran, University Science Publishing. 560p. (Translated in Persian)
22.Moghaddam, M., Narimani, R., Rostami, Gh. and Mojarab, S. 2018. Studying the effect of foliar application of methanol and ethanol on morphological and biochemical characteristics of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum cv. Keshkeni luvelou). J. Field Crop. Res. 16: 2. 345-354. (In Persian)
23.Mohammadian, R., Rahimian, H., Moghaddam, M. and Sadeghian, S.Y. 2003. Effect of early drought stress on sugar beets chlorophyll fluorescence. Pakistan J. Biol. Sci. 6: 1763-1769.
24.Morales, R. 2002. The history, botany and taxonomy of the genus Thymus. Thieme Medical Pub. pp. 1-43.
25.Nourafkan, H. and Kalantari, Z.2017. The effect of methanol and ethanol foliar application on peppermint morpho-physiological charactristics. Agroeco. J. 12: 4. 1-9. (In Persian)
26.Omokolo, N.D., Tsala, N.G. and Djocgoue, P.F. 1996. Changes in carbohydrate, amino acid and phenol content in cocoa pods from three clones after infection with Phytophthora megakarya Bra. Grif. Annu. Bot.77: 153-158.
27.Pesis, E. 2005. The role of the anaerobic metabolites, acetaldehyde and ethanol, in fruit ripening, enhancement of fruit quality and fruit deterioration. Postharvest Biol. Thechnol. 37: 1-19.
28.Prasanth, R., Ravi, V.K., Varsha, P.V. and Satyam, S. 2014. Review on Thymus vulgaris traditional uses andpharmacological properties. Med. Aroma. Plant. 3: 4. 1-3.
29.Qasim, A., Ashraff, M. and Anwar, F. 2010. Seed composition and seed oil antioxidant activity of maize under water stress. J. Amer. Oil Chem. Soc. 87: 1179-1187.
30.Ramirez, I., Dorta, F., Espinoza, V., Jimenez, E., Mercado, A. and Pena-Cortes, H. 2006. Effects of foliar and root application of methanol on the growth of Arabidopsis, tobacco and tomato plants. J. Plant Growth Regul. 25: 30-44.
31.Ramroudi, M., Chezgi, M. andGalavi, M. 2017. Effect of methanol spraying on quantitative traits and osmatic adjustments in moldavian (Dracocephlum moldavica L.) under low irrigation conditions. J. Field Crop Sci. 48: 1. 149-158. (In Persian)
32.Rasouli, F. 2011. Investigate effects of flooding stress on physiological characteristics, yield and yield components in rapeseed (Brassica napuse). M.Sc. Thesis, Gorgan University of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources. (In Persian)
33.Sajedi Moghadam, S., Mehrafarin, A., Naghdi Badi, H., Pazoki, A.R. and Ghavami, N. 2012. Evaluation of phytochemical yield of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) under foliar applicationof hydroalcohol. J. Med. Plant. J.11: 44. 130-139. (In Persian)
34.Sharif Hossain, A.B., Boyce, A.N. and Haji Mohamed, A.M. 2008. Vase life extension and chlorophyll fluorescence yield of bougainvillea flower as influenced by ethanol to attain maximum environmental beautification as ornamental components. Amer. J. Environ. Sci. 4: 625-630.
35.Sharma, R. 2004. Agro-Techniques of Medicinal Plant, Daya Publishing House, Delhi, 264p.
36.Slinkard, K. and singleton, V.L. 1977. Total phenol analysis: automation and comparison with manual methods. Amer. J. Enol. Vi. 28: 49-55.
37.Taiz, L. and Zeiger, E. 2006. Plant physiology, (4th Edition). Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, Mass, 623p.
38.Wagner, G.J. 1979. Content and vacuole/extravacuole distribution of neutral sugars, free amino acids and anthocyanins in protoplast. Plant Physiol. 64: 88-93.
39.Yadegari, M. 2013. Effect of Cu and Mn micronutrients foliar application on quantitative and qualitative yield of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) inShahre-Kord region. J. Crop Pro. Res.5: 3. 277-285. (In Persian)
40.Yadegari, M. 2015. Effect of foliar application of micronutirents on growth, yield and essential oil content ofthyme (Thmus vulgaris L.). Crop Res. 47: 56-65.
41.Yadegari, M., Farahani, H. and Mosadeghzad, Z. 2012. Biofertilizers effects on quantitative and qualitative yield of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.). Afric. J. Agri. Res. 7: 34. 4716-4723.
42.Yazdifar, S.H., Moradi, P. and Yousefi Rad, M. 2015. Effect of foliar application of methanol and chelated zinc on the quantities and qualities yield of marigold (Calendula officinalis L).J. App. Environ. Biol. Sci. 4: 170-176. (In Persian)
43.Yosefian Ghahfarokhi, H., Abdali Mashhadi, A., Bakhshandeh, A. and Lotfi Jalalabadi, A. 2015. Evaluation of effect attract moisture substances and organic fertilizers on quality and quantity yield of purslane (Portulaca oleraceae L.) in Ahvaz region. Plant Proc. Fun. J.4: 3. 87-96. (In Persian)