Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Soil Conservation, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
2
Department of Plant Production, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
Abstract
The objective of this study is to investigate how the use of ceramic waste dust (CWD) and the intercropping systems can impact the properties of soil, growth, yield and its characteristics of cowpea and sunflower under calcareous soil conditions in Ras Sudr region, Egypt, in the years 2020 and 2021. Three CWD (0, 48, and 96 Mg ha-1) and five intercropping systems: sole cowpea, sole sunflower, 1:1 sunflower-cowpea, 1:2 sunflower-cowpea, and 2:1 sunflower-cowpea treatments were applied. The findings indicated that the use of CWD and the intercropping system resulted in a decrease in soil pH, electrical conductivity, bulk density, and hydraulic conductivity while increasing soil organic carbon and soil maximum water holding capacity. Moreover, the application of CWD and the intercropping systems had a significant impact on plant growth index, yield, and the characteristics of cowpea and sunflower. The highest values of plant growth, yield, and its characters were observed in plants treated with 96 Mg ha-1 of CWD. Also, the results indicated that the intercropping systems had a significant impact on all the traits of cowpea and sunflower. The highest yield for sunflower was observed in both pure stand and intercropping mixtures, while for cowpea, it was only achieved in a pure stand planting system. The land equivalent ratio, relative crowding coefficient, and aggressivity indices indicated that sunflower was a stronger competitor than cowpea, and sunflower was dominant, while cowpea was dominated in the intercropping systems. In conclusion, the findings indicated the critical role of CWD and intercropping systems in improving soil properties and enhancing cowpea and sunflower productivity under calcareous soil conditions.
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