[Topological arrangements of beans with corn intercalated on different dates in central Chiapas]

This study took place from 1981 to 1983 in three localities of central Chiapas, with the objectives of determining the topological arrangement giving the highest yields and best relative land efficiency at the experimental level. The treatments consisted of intercalating a row of corn-beans with one, two or three rows of beans, and single-crop planting of corn and beans. The intercalating of the corn among the beans was done in simultaneous planting and at 8, 15 and 30 days after planting the beans. During 1984 a commercial farming project was set up using the following arrangement: one hectare was planted with one row of corn and beans plus one row of beans, and two 1,200 m(2) areas were planted with single crops. The result enable us to conclude that corn by itself produces better yield than when intercalated. With intercalated beans some arrangements produce yields equal to that of beans planted by themselves, as the number of rows of corn intercalated increases, the yield of the corn goes up and that of the bean decreases. With the intercalated arrangements the relative land efficiency values obtained were higher than with single crops. The yield of corn is greater when planted simultaneously with the beans that when planted 15 and 30 days afterwards. Bean yields increase the longer the corn planting is delayed. The largest gross earning are obtained with the arrangement 1CB plus 1B, and occasionally corn planted as single crop equals these arrangements. At the commercial level, The arrangement 1CB plus 1B, produces a relative land efficiency value of 1.7 The bean yield was equal to that obtained when this crop was planted singly, and in the case of corn, the yield was lower in comparison with that obtained by this method. Income earned using the topological arrangement of beans with corn was 21 percent higher than the amount earned from growing corn by itself, and 75 percent higher than the income from growing just beans.