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Intercropping sweet corn with summer savory to increase weed suppression and yield

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2022

Ruhollah Naderi Open the ORCID record for Ruhollah Naderi [Opens in a new window] ,
Farzad Bijani Open the ORCID record for Farzad Bijani [Opens in a new window] ,
Philip S. R. Weyl Open the ORCID record for Philip S. R. Weyl [Opens in a new window]  and
Heinz Mueller-Schaerer Open the ORCID record for Heinz Mueller-Schaerer [Opens in a new window]
Ruhollah Naderi*
Affiliation:
Associate Professor, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Farzad Bijani
Affiliation:
Former MSc student, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Philip S. R. Weyl
Affiliation:
Senior Scientist, CABI, Delémont, Switzerland
Heinz Mueller-Schaerer
Affiliation:
Professor, Department of Biology/Ecology and Evolution, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
*
Author for correspondence: Ruhollah Naderi, Department of Plant Production and Genetics, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran. Email: rnaderi@shirazu.ac.ir
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Abstract

A 2-yr field experiment was conducted to explore the effects on weed growth and crop productivity of intercropping sweet corn with summer savory. Five cropping patterns were set up: sweet corn alone (16 seeds m−2, in rows, 75 cm apart), summer savory alone (40 seeds m−2, broadcasted), and three intercropping ratios of 75% sweet corn, 25% summer savory (75%C:25%S), 50%C:50%S, and 25%C:75%S, of plant densities used in respective monocultures. When intercropping, weed biomass decreased as the proportion of summer savory increased, with a reduction of 48%, 61%, and 70 % in 75%C:25%S, 50%C:50%S, and 25%C:75%S, respectively, compared to sweet corn alone. In parallel, sweet corn yield was higher under intercropping compared to its monoculture and increased as the proportion of summer savory decreased, with yield increases compared to corn monoculture of 38%, 32%, and 15% in the first year and 48%, 23%, and 14 % in the second year in 75%C:25%S, 50%C:50%S, and 25%C:75%S, respectively. However, the intercropping pattern had the opposite effect on summer savory yield, with a significant reduction in yield with an increasing ratio of sweet corn. Our results indicate that intercropping sweet corn with summer savory can increase both weed suppression and yield of sweet corn compared to crop monoculture.

Keywords

sweet cornZea mays L. saccharatasummer savorySatureja hortensis L.Sustainable productionecological weed managementcrop diversity
Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 36 , Issue 4 , August 2022 , pp. 544 - 547
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Weed Science Society of America

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Footnotes

Associate Editor: Peter J. Dittmar, University of Florida

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