Evaluation of Grain Yield of Maize (Zea mays L.) and Soybean (Glycine max L.) Instrip Intercropping

In order to study effects of strip intercropping on grain yield of maize and soybean, an experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with nine treatment and three replications at the research field of Agricultural department of zanjan University in 2010. Strip intercropping planting patterns included: 2maize+2soybean rows (2:2), 2maize+4soybean rows (2:4), 2maize+6soybean rows (2:6), 3maize+4soybean rows (3:4), 3maize+6soybean rows (3:6), 4maize+4soybean rows (4:4), 4maize+6soybean rows(4:6) and sole cropping of maize and soybean. Results indicated that maximum seed yields of soybean (2261 kg/ha) and maize (10390 kg/ha) were obtained in planting patterns of 2:6 and 3:4, respectively. The results showed that the intercropping treatments have significant effects on maize grain yield, mean number ear/plant, mean number of seed/ear and mean weight of maize. Furthermore, intercropping treatments showed a significant effects on grain yield, mean no of pod/plant, mean no of seed/pod and seed weight of soybean. The maximum evaluation for simple land equivalent ratios (LER)for strip intercropping planting pattern of 3:6 was 1.67,thatindicates intercropping has advantages over sole-cropping. Evaluation of each treatment using LER too showed advantages of intercropping systems compared to sole-cropping systems.