Two field experiments were carried out at Arab El-Awammer Research Station,
Assiut Governorate during 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 seasons. The present study
assessed the effect of intercropping faba bean with some crops on the production,
phyllosphere and rhizosphere microorganisms under modern irrigation systems. Two
separates experiments were done and each experiment was subjected to one of studied
irrigation systems (sprinkler and drip irrigation), Each experiment contained seven
treatments of cropping systems (sole faba bean, sole onion, sole garlic, sole fennel;
row intercropping of faba bean with onion, garlic and fennel planting both crops on the
same row). Results showed that number of branches/plant, seed yield/plant and seed
yield/fed. of faba bean was decreased when intercropped with onion, garlic and fennel
compared with sole faba bean in both seasons. Drip irrigation produced the maximum
yield and its attributes of faba bean as compared with sprinkler irrigation in both
seasons. sole onion and garlic gave the highest values of yield/fed. under drip
irrigation as compared with intercrop with faba bean and sprinkler irrigation in the both
season. However, fennel intercrop with faba bean produced the highest value of
yield/fed. under sprinkler irrigation as compared with sole fennel and drip irrigation in
the both seasons. The highest LER value of 1.92 was observed with fennel intercrop in
faba bean under sprinkler irrigation in first season. Competitive ratio values of onion,
garlic and fennel intercrop in faba bean were greater than of sole faba bean in both
seasons. Rhizosphere and phyllosphere microorganisms were highly affected by the
intercropping and various irrigation systems. Total counts of both bacteria and fungi in
plants phyllosphere were high under sprinkle irrigation than drip irrigation system while, drip irrigation was highest in rhizosphere. Sole cropping contained higher
microbial number than cropping system. Higher values of the biodiversity index
indicate large variation in fungal communities of different plants especially in
intercropping.