How to enhance the agronomic performance of cactus-sorghum intercropped system: planting configurations, density and orientation.

Clarifying cultivation techniques and making production systems more efficient are practices that have been much sought after in agricultural systems in recent decades. In this context, the forage yield, biological efficiency, and competitive ability, of different cultivation strategies for intercropping forage cactus and sorghum were determined in biosaline production systems from 2018 to 2020 in Brazil. Four experiments were carried out, comprising: 1) cropping configurations for the forage cactus-sorghum intercropping system; 2 and 3) planting densities for the forage cactus intercropped with sorghum with an east-west and north-south row orientation, respectively; and 4) planting densities for the forage cactus and sorghum. Each experiment used a randomised block design with four replications. The intercropped forage cactus and sorghum showed higher productivity than the monocropped systems. The indices of biological efficiency (LER, ATER, LEC and SPI with mean values equal to 1.6, 1.8, 0.6 and 29.0, respectively) and competitive ability (ALGY in average 870.6) show better performance under the intercropped system compared to the single crops. The increased planting density resulted in an increase in productivity under the intercropped forage cactus-sorghum system (on average an increase of 69.4% dry matter). In turn, the orientation had no influence on the productivity of the intercropping system but offered better conditions for the forage cactus when cultivation was in an east-west direction (21.7 Mg ha􀀀 1 of dry matter) compared to north-south (17.5 Mg ha􀀀 1 of dry matter). Intercropping forage cactus and sorghum using biosaline agriculture is an excellent alternative for a production system in semi-arid environments, especially at higher planting densities (50,000 and 100,000 plants ha􀀀 1).

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	ALVES, C. P., JARDIM, A. M. da Ro F., ARAÚJO JÚNIOR, C. do N., SOUZA, L. S. B. de, ARAUJO, G. G. L. de, SOUZA, C. A. A. de, SALVADOR, K. R. da S., LEITE, R. M. C., PINHEIRO, A. G., SILVA, T. G. F. da
Other Authors:	CLEBER PEREIRA ALVES, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Serra Talhada, PE; ALEXANDRE MANIÇOBA DA ROSA FERRAZ JARDIM, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife; GEORGE DO NASCIMENTO ARAÚJO JÚNIOR, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife; LUCIANA SANDRA BASTOS DE SOUZA, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Serra Talhada; GHERMAN GARCIA LEAL DE ARAUJO, CPATSA; CARLOS ANDRÉ ALVES DE SOUZA, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife; KAIQUE RENAN DA SILVA SALVADOR, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Serra Talhada; RENAN MATHEUS CORDEIRO LEITE, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Serra Talhada; ANTONIO GEBSON PINHEIRO, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife; THIERES GEORGE FREIRE DA SILVA, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Serra Talhada.
Format:	Artigo de periódico biblioteca
Language:	Ingles English
Published:	2022-10-05
Subjects:	Resiliência agrícola, Rendimento da colheita, Nopalea Cochenillifera, Sorgo, Palma Forrageira, Pastagem, Pastagem Consorciada, Opuntia stricta, Sorghum bicolor subsp. bicolor, Crop yield,
Online Access:	http://www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br/alice/handle/doc/1147124 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115059
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