Influence of spacing and harvests on the production of scarlet eggplant and chicory under intercropping system

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the fresh mass of scarlet eggplant (kg/pl) and the number of leaves of chicory (nºf/pl) in relation to the spacing used by the farmers of the region for both crops. The experiment evaluated these crops under intercropping cultivation system, varying the number of chicory rows between scarlet eggplant rows as well as harvests (cycle of each crop), for intercropping and monocropping systems. The treatments were T1= scarlet eggplant 0.7x1.1 m (monocropping); T2= intercropped scarlet eggplant, 0.7x1.5 m, with four rows of chicory, 0.2x0.2 m between rows; T3= intercropped scarlet eggplant, 0.7x1.1 m, with three rows and chicory, 0.2x0.2 m; T4= intercropped scarlet eggplant, 0.7x1.3 m, with four rows of chicory, 0.2x0.2 m; T5= intercropped scarlet eggplant, 0.7x1.3 m, with three rows of chicory, 0.2x0.2 m; T6= chicory 0.2x0.1x0.4 m in two double rows, 0.2 m between rows, 0.1 m between plants and 0.4 m between double rows in 1.5 m linear area (monocropping) and T7= chicory 0.2x0.3 m with three simple rows in an 1.5-m area (monocropping). The experimental design was of strip blocks, in a 5x16 factorial scheme, consisting of five spacings of scarlet eggplant (monocropping), 1.5x0.7 m, 1.3x0.7 m and 1.1x0.7 m, alternating the number of chicory rows between rows and 16 harvests in time, once a week. For chicory, the design was also in a 6x12 factorial scheme, with six spacings. The spacing 0.2x0.2 m was intercropped with scarlet eggplant, alternating the number of rows and two monocroppings 0.2x0.1x0.4 m in double rows and 0.2x0.3 m with 12 harvests in time, being performed one harvest per week along with the scarlet eggplant. Intercropped scarlet eggplant in spacing 0.7x1.5 m showed higher averages in some harvests followed by spacing 0.7x1.3 m with four chicory rows between rows. Spacings 0.2x0.1x0.4 m and 0.2x0.3 m were the ones which provided the best averages for chicory crop, except for the 5th harvest, in which spacing 0.2x0.2 m consisting of four chicory rows provided the highest average (5.7 leaves/plant). Regardless of monocropping and intercropping arrangement used for chicory the Area Equivalence Index (IEA) was over 1.6.