Effect of Planting Patterns and NPK fertilizer on Growth and Yield of Millet and Mung Bean

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the spring planting season in 2017 in the fields of one of the farmers which it is located at Al- Shahabia region - Al Kifil district/ Babylon province about 28 km south of Hilla city with longitude is 44.39° east, latitude 32.30° north, and elevation from sea level is 26.6 m, in silty clay soil cultivated with Alfalfa in the previous season for studying the effect of planting patterns and compound fertilizers (NPK) on growth and yield of millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) and mung bean (Vigna radiate L.). The experiment included two factors: The Intercropping and fertilizing with compound fertilizers (NPK). The main plots included the fertilization factor on two levels of the compound fertilizer which were 200 and 400 kg.h-1, which is symbolized by (F1) and (F2) respectively, as well as the comparison treatment (without the addition of compound fertilizer), which symbolized (F0) while the sub plots included seven patterns for the intercropping between crops of millet and mung as follows: millet is cultivated on lines alone (S1) , mung bean is cultivated on lines alone (S2) , two lines of millet + two lines of mung bean (S3), a line of mung Bean + two lines of millet (S4), three lines of millet + four lines of mung bean (S5), three lines of millet + three lines of mung bean (S6) and five lines of millet + five lines of mung bean (S7). The experimental sub-plots were separated according to the Randomized Complete Blocks Design (RCBD) according to the arrangements of split plots in three replicates. The averages were tested to the of Least Significant difference (L.S.D) under %0.05 probability level. The main results obtained were as follows: The intercropping patterns gave a significant effect on most of the qualities of growth, yield and its components in millet as in the area of the flag leaf, the biological yield, the grain yield and the harvest index, whereas the height of the plant and the chlorophyll have not significant effect, the pattern (3 millet: 3 mung bean)gave the highest quantity of biological yield and grain are 3.57 and 1.21 ton.h-1respectivly. The results showed a significant effect for the addition of compound fertilizer (NPK) in most of the qualities of growth and yield and it's components in millet. As for mung bean, the intercropping patterns gave a significant effect on most of the qualities of growth, yield, and it components in (plant length, leaf area, seed yield, biological yield and harvest index), while the chlorophyll had no significant effect, as the pattern (3 millet: 3 mung bean) gave the highest quantity of seeds yield was 0.66 ton.h-1 and the highest yield obtained from the agricultural pattern (2 millet: 1 mung bean) reached 3.48 ton.h-1. The results showed a significant effect for the addition of NPK fertilizer in plant length, biological yield and harvest index. The pattern of agriculture (3 millet: 3 mung bean) gave the highest average yield of the total Land Equivalent Ratio to millet and mung bean (LER) reached 1.11.