Productivity of intercropping maize (Zea mays L.) and pumpkins (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) under conventional vs. conservation farming system

Abstract

The evaluation of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) and maize (Zea mays L.) intercropping productivity, under different farming systems: conventional farming vs. conservation farming was carried out on the chernozem type of soil at Zemun Polje, Serbia. Results obtained by the bivariate analysis of variance showed significant differences between different proportions of components in intercropped maize and pumpkins. Regarding the land equivalent ratio (LER), two rows of pumpkins and two rows of maize (proportion 2/3:1/3) were the optimum spatial arrangement in conventional farming system, while proportion 1/3:2/3 was optimal in conservation farming system. The yield of pumpkins proportionally increased with the increase of the plant population, although the intraspecies competition of pumpkins was very pronounced in intercropping with maize. The average fruit yield of pumpkins in the first year was lower in conservation farming practices in comparison with conventional farming practices. On the other hand, situation was complete opposite with pumpkin yield in second year of investigation, while significant decrease in maize yield was observed in the plots where conservation farming practices were applied. Growing pumpkins in mixture with maize probably costs a small farmer very little more effort, than the production of a sole stand of maize. At least where the productivity of mixture is dominated by one species, as with maize in maize-pumpkins intercropping, the competitive effect of the recessive species on the dominant is small.