Productivity of Intercropped Wheat with Faba Bean under Crop Sequences and Foliar Application of Humic Acid

Abstract

INTERCROPPING cereal-legume (wheat + faba bean) is essential to enhance productivity per unit area, land use efficiency and decreasing the gap between production and consumption in Egypt. Furthermore, we are trying to find the best concentration of humic acid foliar application which could improve the production of wheat and faba bean. A field experiment was set with a combination of five crop sequences and intercropping systems (clover/wheat; wheat + faba bean; clover/wheat + faba bean; sole wheat; sole faba bean) in addition to, three foliar application treatments of humic acid at the rate of control (0.0), 2.0 and 4.0g/L. Results show that foliar application of humic acid and intercropping systems affected significantly all traits of wheat and faba bean except number of branches/plant and plant height in the first season for faba bean. The highest mean values of yield and its components of wheat were obtained when wheat was sown after clover under foliar application with 4g/L humic acid as compared with sole wheat with no foliar application in both seasons. The 2g/L humic acid and wheat + faba bean give higher land equivalent ratio and the lowest values of aggressivity. whereas the highest mean values of area time equivalent ratio and monetary advantage index were obtained from 4g/L humic acid foliar application with clover/wheat + faba bean in both seasons.