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One of the great challenges of the beet and cowpea cultivation in crop association is to maintain their productivity as that of their sole counterparts in semi-arid environment. In this context, the objective of this work is to assess whether there is bio-agroeconomic return in associations of beet-cowpea by the optimization of population densities and spatial arrangements of the component crops. Experiments were performed in randomised complete block designs with treatments arranged in a 4 × 3 factorial scheme, with four replications. The first factor was the population densities of cowpea (100, 80, 60, and 40% of the recommended population in single crop - RPSC) in association with beet, and the second factor was the spatial arrangements (2:2, 3:3, and 4:4), formed by beet (B) rows alternating with cowpea (C) rows. The competition and agronomic indices evaluated were aggressiveness, competitive ratio, land equivalent ratio, actual yield loss, intercropping advantage and the productive efficiency index. The economic indicators evaluated were gross income, net income, rate of return and profit margin. High agro-economic efficiency can be obtained in the cultivation of beet and cowpea intercropping when well-managing the factors of production, population densities and spatial arrangement of the component crops. The greatest agro-economic return of the cowpea and beet intercropping was obtained in the population densities of 40 and 100% of RPSC for cowpea and beet, respectively. The 2:2 spatial arrangement between beet and cowpea crops was the one with the best productive performance and higher indicators of economic return. The cowpea was the dominant crop while the beet was dominated.

Visando fornecer subsídios às pesquisas e cultivos dos consórcios de caupi-hortaliça com beterraba e adubação com espécies espontâneas, o objetivo desse trabalho foi determinar a quantidade de flor-de-seda que deve ser incorporada ao solo com a finalidade de promover o melhor rendimento dessas culturas. O experimento foi conduzido na Fazenda Experimental Rafael Fernandes, localizada no distrito de Alagoinha, Rio Grande do Norte. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos casualizados com 4 tratamentos (10, 25, 40 e 55 t ha-1 doses de adubos de flor-de-seda) e 5 repetições. Para as características de peso de 100 grãos, número de grãos por vagens, peso dos grãos frescos e das vagens frescas de caupi-hortaliça consorciada com beterraba, obtiveram altos índices quando adicionaram-se 53 t ha-1 de flor-de-seda; 46,49 t ha-1 de flor-de-seda; 46,89 t ha-1 de flor-de-seda e 46,98 t ha-1 de flor-de-seda, respectivamente. Na beterraba, foram encontradas respostas crescentes para altura de plantas, número de folhas, produtividade comercial e total, e produtividade classificada, nas quantidades de 55 t ha-1; 44,21 t ha-1; 18,59 t ha-1; 22,23 t ha-1 e 55 t ha-1, respectivamente. Para os indicadores econômicos, renda bruta, renda líquida, taxa de retorno e índice de lucratividade, foram obtidos: R$ 31.784,46; R$ 10.732,57; 1,54 e 35,28%, respectivamente. O consórcio entre a beterraba e o caupi-hortaliça mostrou-se eficiente e os melhores desempenhos agronômicos foram obtidos na incorporação de 55 t ha-1 e 47 t ha-1 de flor-de-seda.