Effects of Intercropping and Fertilizer Types on DM Yield and Medicinal Metabolites of Chicory and Fenugreek

Intercropping of medicinal plant can increase the diversity of farming systems. It also protects the environment, water, soil and plays an important role in healthy agricultural production and human consumption. In order to investigate the effect of intercropping and fertilizer types on dry matter (DM) yield and medicinal metabolites of chicory and fenugreek, a factorial experimentwas carried out based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in an experimental farm located at Behbahan, Khuzestan province, Iran, during ۲۰۱۹-۲۰۲۰. The first factor was different fertilizer sources (Chemical, Organic and Integrated (in three levels; chemical fertilizer )urea + triple super phosphate),Vermicompost, and integrated fertilizer (۵۰% chemical fertilizer+nitroxinbiofertilizer + fertile phosphate ۲); while, the second factor was five levels of intercropping patterns, including: sole chicory (SC), sole fenugreek (ST), one row of chicory plus one row of fenugreek (C۱T۱), one row of chicory plus two rows of fenugreek (C۱T۲) and two rows of chicory plus one row of fenugreek (C۲T۱). The highest root dry weight (۴۸۷ Kg/h), inulin content (۱%) and inulin yield (۴.۸۷ Kg/h) of chicory root was obtained in the sole cultivation of chicory coupled with integrated fertilizer. The highest trigonelline content (۰.۴۸%) of fenugreek was obtained in C۲T۱ pattern coupled with chemical fertilizer application; while, the highest trigonelline yield (۱۳.۱۴ Kg/h) were obtained in sole cultivation of this plant. Considering the total DM yield of the two plants, the extent of medicinal actives in both plants and land equality ratio (LER) higher than one, intercropping patterns of C۱T۲, C۱T۱ treated with combined fertilizer andvermicompost were more beneficial than the sole cropping.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cropping pattern ، Inulin ، trigonelline ، monoculture ، Land equivalent ratio