AGRONOMY AND SOILS Effect of Intercropping Corn on Egyptian Cotton Characters

Two experiments were conducted at Gemmeiza Agric. Exp. and Res. Station, A.R.C., El-Gharbia Governorate, Egypt, during 2006 and 2007 summer seasons to study the effects of intercropping corn with cotton on seed cotton yield and its components. Intercropping patterns included alternating ridges between cotton and corn at 2:1 and 3:1, respectively, (60 cm per ridge), a mixed intercropping pattern (120 cm per ridge) for growing the two crops, and two additional solid planting patterns of cotton. Intercropping corn with cotton resulted in lower values for number of open bolls plant -1 , seed cotton yield plant -1 and seed cotton yield acre -1 as compared with recommended solid planting of cotton. Alternating ridges between cotton and corn in a 3:1 ratio had higher values for number of open bolls plant -1 , seed cotton yield plant -1 , grain yield plant -1 and lint percentage as compared with the other intercropping patterns. Mixed intercropping pattern gave the highest yields for both crops. Seed cotton yield in intercropping patterns was affected by intercepted light on cotton plants through adjacent corn plants and the ratio of occupied cotton plants in the intercropping area. Cotton fiber properties were not affected significantly by any of the different cropping systems, corn varieties or their distributions. Seed yield of intercropped cotton reached 80.45 % of that obtained from recommended solid planting of cotton in addition to 2.90 ton acre -1 of corn grains. Intercropping corn with cotton increased total and net returns as compared with recommended solid planting of cotton. Mixed intercropping pattern gave the highest financial return value when using high population densities of both crops and distributing the corn plants at a wide distance between hills.