Effect of Planting Methods and Intercropping Green and Full Mature Onion with Wheat

Abstract

Two field experiments were conducted at Etay El-Baroud Experiment station of El-Behira Governorate, Egypt during 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 seasons to examine three planting methods of intercropping green and full mature onion with wheat i.e. 1-planting in flat soil (without ridges), wheat was planted in rows 20cm apart and onion was transplanted among the rows of wheat, 2-growing wheat on ridges (60cm apart) in 2 rows on top and northern side of the ridge and onion was transplanted on southern side of the same ridge and 3-growing wheat on the wide ridges (120cm apart) in 4rows and onion was transplanted on both sides of the same ridge and two intercropping systems (100% wheat + 50% green onion and 100% wheat +50% full mature onion as well as sole wheat, sole green and full mature onion. Results show that, planting methods had no significant effect on yield and its components of wheat, except spike length and number of spikes/m 2 were significantly affected by planting methods in the two growing seasons while, 1000 grain weight was significantly affected by planting methods in 2018/2019 season only. The tallest spikes length were recorded under planting method {120cm (M 3 )} while, the highest number of spikes/m 2 and 1000 grain weight were recorded under planting method {without ridges (M 1 )}.On the other hand, green and full mature onion per feddan were significantly affected by planting methods, the highest main values were recorded by growing onion on the two sides of ridges {120cm apart (M3)}. Intercropping green and full mature onion had no significant effect on yield of wheat, while the sole onion achieved the highest yield/fed compared to intercropping systems. Generally, growing green onion on the two sides of wide ridges {120cm apart (M3)} with wheat recorded the highest Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), Relative Crowding Coefficient (K) and net returns compared to sole wheat. In all intercropping treatments, wheat was the dominant whereas, onion was the dominated.