Intercropping young almond trees with snap bean under Nubaria region conditions

Abstract

Background Intercropping systems play an effective role in increasing the efficiency of land usage and improving the economic return. During the seasons of 2018 and 2019, the field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of snap bean intercropping on the growth and nutritional status of young almond trees. Examine the impact on snap bean plant growth, green and dry yields, and quality. In addition, evaluate the impact of snap bean incorporation in the soil on soil chemical characteristics. The snap bean Bronco cv. was planted in two rows between rows of 5 × 5 m almond trees, and after harvest, snap bean plants were incorporated (20 cm deep) into the soil and the chemical characteristics of the soil were examined after 60 days. Results The growth characteristics and leaf chemical constituents of almond young trees were significantly increased under the intercropping with snap bean plants. The highest growth, yield and pods quality of snap bean were recorded by intercropping with almond trees compared to the sole plants. Incorporation of the snap bean in the soil after harvest promoted a difference in pH and organic carbon content and increases the available contents of N, P and exchangeable elements of K, Ca and Mg in soil after 60 days incorporation compared with soil without incorporation. Conclusions Intercropping the snap bean Bronco cv. between the almond trees and incorporate it into the soil after harvesting to maximise the use of the land area and obtain the highest profit.

Linking Conventional and Organic Rainfed Almond Cultivation to Nut Quality in a Marginal Growing Area (SE Spain)

“…There are many studies regarding almond composition [43][44][45], showing the high contents of bioactive compounds such as fatty acids, lipids, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fibers, phytosterols, polyphenols, vitamins and macro-and micronutrients, among others. In this context, the effect of the almond genotype on its nutrient composition is well known [46,47]; however, other factors such as cultivation practices, growing region, nut maturity, etc., or their interaction must be considered, according to many studies [22,[48][49][50].…”