Intercropping of taro and sunn hemp with cutting periods during the cycle

Abstract

Intercropping using legumes is one of the ways to protect the main crop, and in long term improve the physical and chemical properties of the soil. The aim of this work was to evaluate the intercropping of Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott (taro) and the tropical legume Crotalaria juncea L. (sunn hemp), cutting sunn hemp at ten periods during the cycle. The experiment was carried out under field conditions between 09/23/2010 and 06/04/2011. It consisted of 11 treatments related to the 10 cutting times of sunn hemp (55, 70, 85,100, 115, 130, 145, 160, 190, and 220 days after sowing - DAS) plus a control of taro with no sunn hemp. During the cycle, taro was evaluated for plant height and incidence of leaf burn. At the time of cutting the sunn hemp, the plant height, fresh and dry matter masses, and nutrient content of the biomass were calculated. During taro harvest, we evaluated the productivity of the mother rhizomes and classified the cormels. Taro plants shaded by sunn hemp showed a lower incidence of leaf burn. The sunn hemp cut from 145 DAS onwards affected the yield of comercial rhizomes and total and agroeconomic indexes. Sunn hemp cut up to 130 DAS provided better performance of taro, without compromising productivity and economic indicators, with the highest amounts of N and K observed in the biomass cut at 115 DAS.

Economic Analysis of Taro-Sunn Hemp Intercropping With Broccoli, Green Maize and Snow Pea as Successive Crops

“…According to Zanatta et al (1993), the economic analysis may or may not confirm the success of intercropping because it aims to assist farmers in decision-making, especially regarding what to plant and how to plant. Colombo et al (2018) performed the economic analysis of cultivating taro intercropped with Crotalaria juncea cut at different times and verified the lowest values for gross income, net income, rate of return and profitability index when the leguminous species was cut 145 days after sowing (DAS). When performing the economic analysis of vegetable crops grown in succession to cover crops, Vendruscolo et al (2017) verified that the operating profit obtained with the production of 3.05 tons of lettuce cultivated in a field containing sorghum straw was R$ 3,754.35.…”