Light interception and total biomass productivity in sugarcane intercropping
1986
Mendoza, T.C. (Philippines Univ., Los Banos, College, Laguna (Philippines). Dept. of Agronomy)
Significantly higher total land productivity has always been the observation and rationale used for intercropping. In this study involving sugarcane intercropped with soybean, mungbean, peanut, corn, sweet potato and cassava, however, the above observation was found to be true only under the following conditions: a. computed on a per month basis, the dry matter productivity was only higher during the full growth duration of the intercrop. This was attributed to the slow growth feature of sugarcane within the first 2-3 months. The non-intercepted light by sugarcane canopies was intercepted by the intercrop; b. biomass productivity was only higher in compatible intercrops like legumes but not in the non-compatible intercrop combinations, greater biomass productivity was only true under low average fertilizer and cultivation input application for sugarcane but not in medium high to high level of input application. The reason forwarded is that sugarcane being a C-4 crop species continue to assimilate applied inputs and its low light interception in the early growth stage was compensated as soon as it develops sufficiently large LAI (leaf area index) promoted by adequate nutrients and cultivation.
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