ABSTRACT
For studying the effect of intercropping system of onion plants on sugar beet plants, a field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Assiut University, during two winter growing seasons of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 to study the relative advantage of intercropping systems of sugar beet with onion on the growth, yield and yield components of the two crops intercropping parameters are also considered.
The results showed that the root yield was not significantly decreased by intercropping with onion comparing with pure stand. Nevertheless the yield of sugar beet grown in monoculture was slightly high than obtained from any intercrop combination under study. Effect the associated cropping patterns of onion with sugar beet on yield and its components of onion crop were significant decreased by intercropping. These results may be due to competition between sugar beet and onion plants for nutrient, water and solar radiation.
The highest values of LER and gross return were observed when sugar beet intercropping with onion as compared to mono crops of either species. This investigation showed that grown sugar beet intercropping with onion gave the highest economic return for the farmers.