Castor bean and sunflower intercropping systems in row arrangement: Yield and production components

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during 2008, 2009 and 2010, at “Fazenda Lavoura Seca”, Quixadá, Ceará, in order to evaluate yield and production components of castor bean (CB) and sunflower (SF) under different row arrangements grown in intercropping and sole crop system. A completely randomized block design was used with 4 replications and 7 treatments. The row arrangements were: 1CB:1SF; 1CB:2SF; 1CB:3SF; 2CB:2SF; 2CB:3SF rows, added castor bean and sunflower as sole crop. The yield of castor bean and sunflower as sole crop was higher than in the intercropping with different row arrangements. The best castor bean yield was found with 1CB:2SF. The sunflower did not show variations in plant height and head diameter in intercropping system treatments compared to the sole crop. The intercropping system of castor bean and sunflower is compatible in the semiarid region of Ceará.