Evaluation of Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) Intercropping Systems Using Advantageous Indices of Intercropping under Weed Interference Conditions

To evaluate the advantage of chickpea-barley intercropping systems under weed interference conditions, an experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bu-Ali Sina, during 2010 growing season. Experiment was conducted as split plot base on randomized complete block design with three replications. Weed control treatment at two levels of weed free (WF) and weed infested (WI) as main factor and nine different planting patterns including pure stand of chickpea (PP1), pure stand of barley (PP2), additive intercropping of 25 (PP3), 50 (PP4), 75 (PP5) and 100% of barley (PP6) with chickpea, and replacement intercropping of 25 (PP7), 50 (PP8) and 75% of barley (PP9) with chickpea were considered as sub-plots. Intercropping systems were evaluated by using indices of land equivalent ratio (LER), total relative yield (RYT), aggressively index (AI), competition index (CI) and relative crowding coefficient (RCC). Results showed that in all intercropping treatments LER was more than one. Maximum value of LER (2.40) was achieved at WI × PP6 treatment. Also, CI at the treatments of intercropping was less than one 1. Minimum (0.01) and maximum (0.99) values of CI were achieved at WI × PP8 and WF × PP3 treatments, respectively. Based on aggressively index, barley plant was aggressive than chickpea. In general, under both weed control and weed interference conditions, barley and chickpea intercropping systems were better than sole cropping of each of them