INTERPLANTING COWPEA, SQUASH AND JEW’S MALLOW WITH TARO

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Horticulture Depart. Fac. of Agric. Ain Shams Univ. Shoubra El- Kheima, Cairo, Egypt.

2 Potato and Vegetatively Propagated Vegetable Depart. Horticultural Res. Inst. Agric. Res. Center, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

This work was carried out during two summer seasons, i.e., 2003 and 2004, to investigate the effect of interplanting cowpea, squash or Jew’s mallow with taro on vegetative growth, chemical composition of taro corms, yield and its components, associated weeds, and land equivalent ratio. Significant decrease was observed in taro vegetative growth when interplanting with cowpea, squash and Jew's mallow. The vegetative growth of the companion crops were decreased by interplanting compared to sole crops. The highest values of chemical composition of taro corms (N, P, K, protein and starch) were obtained by solid taro. Interplanting cowpea with taro increased taro yield as compared to sole crop or with either squash or Jew’s mallow. In addition, yield of cowpea, squash and Jew’s mallow was higher when they were grown alone than when they were interplanted with taro. The results indicated that interplanting cowpea or squash with taro reduced significantly number of weeds, fresh and dry weight of weeds/ m2 after 90 days from taro planting.  However, interplanting Jew's mallow with taro had no effect on weed control.  The highest yield was produced and land usage was increased due to interplanting cowpea with taro. The land usage was increased by 74%, 59% or 42 % when interplanting cowpea, squash or Jew's mallow with taro, respectively, than that obtained if the unit area was planted with sole crops.
Generally, it may be concluded that interplanting cowpea with taro being the most effective and favorable treatments in most cases.

Keywords

Journal of Plant Production
Volume 32, Issue 3
March 2007
Pages 2133-2148

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