Sugar Beet Productivity Response to Intercropping System and Nitrogen Fertilizer

A field trials was carried out at Shandaweel Research Station, Sohag Governorate, Agricultural Research Center, Egypt during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons to study the influence of intercropping sugar beet with fahl berseem using three different nitrogen fertilization rates on yield, its components, and economic returns. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design using a split-plot arrangement of three replicates. Three nitrogen fertilizer levels (165, 190, and 215 kg N/ha) were assigned to the main plots. while the sub-plots were allocated to five intercropping systems 100% sugar beet + three seeding rates of fahl berseem (15, 25, and 35% of its recommended rate of 48 kg/ha), sole sugar beet, and sole fahl berseem. The results revealed that most of the values of sugar beet traits significantly (P<0.05) decreased by increasing the percentage of fahl berseem seeding rates. whereas, a reverse trend was found in increasing nitrogen fertilizer levels. All traits of fahl berseem significantly (P<0.05) increased by increasing the percentage of fahl berseem seeding rates when intercropped with sugar beet and increasing nitrogen fertilizer level. The intercropping system IS3 (100% sugar beet + 35% fahl berseem) and fertilized plants with 165 kg N/ha recorded the highest land equivalent ratio (1.30). On the other hand, the intercropping systems IS1 (100% sugar beet + 15% fahl berseem) and 165 kg N/ha recorded the lowest land equivalent ratio (1.20). Fahl berseem was the dominant crop, whereas sugar beet was the dominated. The highest gross returns (3398 US$/ha) resulted from intercropping system IS3 (100% sugar beet + 35% fahl berseem) and 215 Kg N/ha. The lowest gross returns (2953 US$/ha) were obtained from intercropping systems IS1 (100% sugar beet + 15% fahl berseem) with 165 kg N/ha as average in both seasons. Hence it, to achieve higher gross returns preferred use intercropping system of 35% fahl berseem and 100% sugar beet with application of 215 Kg N/ha.