Search

The term intercropping is used to describe agricultural systems where at least two or more species are cultivated in the same field for a portion of their biological cycle. It is an ancient agricultural practice that, with the evolution of agriculture, the prevalence of intensive cultivation systems, and the use of multiple inputs became mostly restricted to developing countries. However, due to climate instability and uncertainty about weather conditions, interest in intercropping has been revived in recent years. The objective of the present study was to determine which faba bean cultivar can be used with wheat cultivars to achieve higher yields and to examine the interaction between the cultivars in intercropping systems. It was found that the combination of Flamenko with Polycarpi gave the highest yield and showed complementarity in the interaction between these cultivars that also have the highest yield; also, the other indices that were used showed a good response on the intercropping system and the LER was 1.30 and 1.19 for the first and the second year of the study, respectively. Therefore, there are faba bean and wheat cultivars that are better adapted to intercropping conditions and can be utilized by farmers to enhance productivity.

● The 4C approach considers intercropping performances as the result of joint 4C effects. ● Partial land equivalent ratios indicate which effect(s) are the major one(s). ● A major effect of complementarity is related to a better capture of abiotic resources. Modern agriculture needs to develop transition pathways toward agroecological, resilient and sustainable farming systems. One key pathway for such agroecological intensification is the diversification of cropping systems using intercropping and notably cereal-grain legume mixtures. Such mixtures or intercrops have the potential to increase and stabilize yields and improve cereal grain protein concentration in comparison to sole crops. Species mixtures are complex and the 4C approach is both a pedagogical and scientific way to represent the combination of four joint effects of Competition, Complementarity, Cooperation, and Compensation as processes or effects occurring simultaneously and dynamically between species over the whole cropping cycle. Competition is when plants have fairly similar requirements for abiotic resources in space and time, the result of all processes that occur when one species has a greater ability to use limiting resources (e.g., nutrients, water, space, light) than others. Complementarity is when plants grown together have different requirements for abiotic resources in space, time or form. Cooperation is when the modification of the environment by one species is beneficial to the other(s). Compensation is when the failure of one species is compensated by the other(s) because they differ in their sensitivity to abiotic stress. The 4C approach allows to assess the performance of arable intercropping versus classical sole cropping through understanding the use of abiotic resources.

Cold stress in sheep is usually overlooked, even though the animals’ welfare and productivity are affected by low temperatures. The aim of this research was to find out if and to what extent the temperature inside a sheep barn could be maintained within the range of the thermoneutral zone during winter, primarily to increase feed conversion and to reduce GHG emissions. For this reason, an automation system was installed at a sheep barn in northern Greece, and heat losses from the building were calculated. The biogas potential of the sheep barn waste was examined in the laboratory via the BMP method. The results showed that the installation of an automation system together with a hypothetical biogas heating system could maintain the barn’s temperature in the range of a sheep’s thermoneutral zone during winter for the 94% of the scenarios examined if the total energy of the biogas was utilized, while heating energy that was instantly and continuously used succeeded in 48% of the investigated cases. The surplus of energy produced by biogas could potentially raise the water temperature that animals drink up to 2.9 °C. The absence of cold stress decreases the dry matter intake and the CH4 produced by ruminal fermentation. Moreover, lower GHG emissions are achieved as waste is treated through anaerobic digestion, which would likely be released into the environment if left untreated.

Intercropping is the simultaneous cultivation of two or more crops species in the same space for a considerable proportion of the growth period. Intercropping has several advantages and is used in both traditional and sustainable agriculture. The objective of the present study was to study the interactions among different pea and wheat cultivars and the effect of water availability on wheat-pea mixtures and the competition between the two species. The experiment was conducted for two successive growing seasons using two different irrigation regimes and two cultivars from each species. The different treatments were evaluated using morphological and agronomic characteristics. Intercropping treatment, cultivars, and irrigation level affected most of the characteristics that were studied and the competition between the two species. Biomass was higher by 47% and leaf area index by 34% under irrigation compared to the rainfed conditions. The different cultivars showed different response under the two water regimes. Based on the intercropping indices, the mixture ‘Yecora E’ - ‘Isard’ is favoured under irrigation while the combination ‘Elissavet’ - ‘Isard’ under low water availability. There was interaction between cultivars and irrigation and using different cultivars in intercropping can have higher yield advantage than monocropping by exploiting the environmental resources more efficiently. Therefore, the use of appropriate cultivars in mixtures can affect the growth, biomass yield and competition between the two species leading to higher yield and greater economic return.

Agricultural product drying is of great importance as it is a reliable method for fruit and vegetable preservation. Tackling the high energy consumption of the process will reduce the final product cost and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. In this work, a passive drying method was experimentally evaluated. The method was based on the principle of the stack effect taking place in the solar chimney structure. Different types of solar chimneys in terms of dimensions and materials were evaluated for the drying of banana and potato slices. The results of the experiments showed that the drying rate was close to solar drying systems. Parameters such as height and material characteristics of drying tubes, as also weather conditions, influenced the drying rate. It was found that the banana and potato slices were dried at a satisfactory rate for almost 48 h during the summer period in Greece. From the parameters of the drying tubes that were varied, it was found that both the height and material played a major role, as did the air flow rate. With the increase in the drying tube by 1 m and with the choice of proper manufacturing material, an increase in the flow rate between 40% and 100% can be achieved. When only the color of two 3 m-high tubes changed, the flow rate varied between 4% and 15%. The proposed method has almost zero energy consumption, and it could be used as a standalone or as a part of a hybrid drying system. It can also be adjusted in existing greenhouse-type agricultural structures as a parallel operation system.

Intercropping is the cultivation of two or more crop species in the same space for a considerable proportion of the growth period. Farmers use cultivars that were bred under monoculture and there are no cultivars that have been evaluated under intercropping systems. The objective of the present study was to evaluate different cultivars of pea and wheat on intercropping systems. The experiment was conducted for two successive growing seasons (2018–2019 and 2019–2020) at the University Farm of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, using two cultivars of field pea and six cultivars of bread wheat, and all their mixture combinations. The growing seasons, the intercropping treatments, and the cultivars affected the grain yield, the yield components, and the land equivalent ratio (LER) and actual yield loss (AYL) values. The different cultivars showed different responses under the intercropping treatments, indicating that there are cultivars that show higher grain yield in mixtures. Based on the mean grain yield for both growing seasons, the mixture ‘Isard’–‘Mavragani’ showed higher grain yield by 86.5% and 55.7% compared with the mean grain yield of all other mixtures and monocultures, respectively. The total LER value of ‘Isard’–‘Mavragani’ was high in both years: 1.954 and 1.693 in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, respectively. This multicriteria evaluation of winter wheat and field pea varieties exhibited the need for the selection of appropriate cultivars for intercropping systems that were previously assessed under intercropping conditions before their exploitation from the farmers.

Intercropping is an eco-friendly agricultural practice for achieving higher quantity and quality of forage crops. The present study was aimed to evaluate the forage quality, quantity and ecological indices (monetary and competition) of maize in intercropping with different legumes at two different growing years (2017–2018) in the north west of Iran. The treatments were monoculture of two maize hybrids (KSC301 and KSC704), grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.), berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.), bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia L.), hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L.) and additive intercropping of two maize hybrids with the above mentioned legumes. The highest and lowest total forage yield and crude protein yield (CPY) was achieved in intercropping of KSC301 with hairy vetch and maize monocultures. Also, the highest value of total digestible nutrients (TDN), dry matter digestibility (DMD), dry matter intake (DMI) and net energy for lactation (NEl) was observed in intercropping of KSC301 with grasspea. In addition, acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents in maize monocultures increased by 19% and 29% compared with intercropping patterns. Averagely, the highest RVT was calculated in the intercropping of KSC301 with grasspea and KSC301 with hairy vetch. The maximum LER was achieved in intercropping of KSC301+ hairy vetch and KSC704+ hairy vetch. Generally, based on the forage quantity, quality and monetary indices, intercropping of KSC301 with grasspea and KSC301 with hairy vetch was superior to maize monocultures and can be suggested, as an eco-friendly and cleaner production method, to farmers instead of monoculture systems.

The term intercropping is used to describe agricultural systems where at least two or more species are cultivated in the same field for a portion of their biological cycle. It is an ancient agricultural practice that, with the evolution of agriculture, the prevalence of intensive cultivation systems, and the use of multiple inputs became mostly restricted to developing countries. However, due to climate instability and uncertainty about weather conditions, interest in intercropping has been revived in recent years. The objective of the present study was to determine which faba bean cultivar can be used with wheat cultivars to achieve higher yields and to examine the interaction between the cultivars in intercropping systems. It was found that the combination of Flamenko with Polycarpi gave the highest yield and showed complementarity in the interaction between these cultivars that also have the highest yield; also, the other indices that were used showed a good response on the intercropping system and the LER was 1.30 and 1.19 for the first and the second year of the study, respectively. Therefore, there are faba bean and wheat cultivars that are better adapted to intercropping conditions and can be utilized by farmers to enhance productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercropping is an old and commonly used agricultural practice and involves the cultivation of two or more crops in the same area of land at the same time and may improve yield, the use of the environmental resources, product quality, and soil health. The objective of the present study was to study the effect of water availability of wheat-pea intercrops using agronomic and physiological characteristics. The experiment was conducted at the farm of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece during two growing seasons 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 using two different cultivars from pea (Isard and Olympos) and wheat (Yecora E and Elissavet) and two irrigation regimes. The availability of water increased grain yield and affected most of the characteristics that were studied. In terms of total Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) there was a yield advantage of intercrops over monocrops, which indicates the efficiency of intercropping for using the environmental resources. Both wheat cultivars, the pea cultivar Olympos and their intercrops indicated high adaptation capacity to rainfed conditions, whereas Isard and its intercrops performed better under irrigation. Therefore, the intercropping of wheat with pea uses the water resources of the environment more efficiently and can be used in dry land conditions for higher yield.

Broad-leaved weeds constitute a serious problem in the production of winter legumes, but few selective herbicides controlling these weeds have been registered in Europe. Four field experiments were conducted in 2009/10 and repeated in 2010/11 in Greece to study the response of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and red pea (Lathyrus cicera L.) to several rates of the herbicides pendimethalin, S-metolachlor, S-metolachlor plus terbuthylazine and flumioxazin applied pre-emergence, as well as imazamox applied post-emergence. Phytotoxicity, crop height, total weight and seed yield were evaluated during the experiments. The results of this study suggest that common vetch, lentil, chickpea and red pea differed in their responses to the herbicides tested. Pendimethalin at 1.30 kg ha-1, S-metolachlor at 0.96 kg ha-1 and flumioxazine at 0.11 kg ha-1 used as pre-emergence applied herbicides provided the least phytotoxicity to legumes. Pendimethalin at 1.98 kg ha-1 and both rates of S-metolachlor plus terbuthylazine provided the greatest common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) control. Imazamox at 0.03 to 0.04 kg ha-1 could also be used as early post-emergence applied herbicide in common vetch and red pea without any significant detrimental effect.

Cold stress in sheep is usually overlooked, even though the animals' welfare and productivity are affected by low temperatures. The aim of this research was to find out if and to what extent the temperature inside a sheep barn could be maintained within the range of the thermoneutral zone during winter, primarily to increase feed conversion and to reduce GHG emissions. For this reason, an automation system was installed at a sheep barn in northern Greece, and heat losses from the building were calculated. The biogas potential of the sheep barn waste was examined in the laboratory via the BMP method. The results showed that the installation of an automation system together with a hypothetical biogas heating system could maintain the barn's temperature in the range of a sheep's thermoneutral zone during winter for the 94% of the scenarios examined if the total energy of the biogas was utilized, while heating energy that was instantly and continuously used succeeded in 48% of the investigated cases. The surplus of energy produced by biogas could potentially raise the water temperature that animals drink up to 2.9 °C. The absence of cold stress decreases the dry matter intake and the CH4 produced by ruminal fermentation. Moreover, lower GHG emissions are achieved as waste is treated through anaerobic digestion, which would likely be released into the environment if left untreated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annual cool-season grain legumes like faba bean (Vicia faba L.) grown in mixtures with winter cereals such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), or rye (Secale cereale L.) may offer advantages over cereal-alone crops grown for forage production. A 2-yr field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of intercropping faba bean with each of the above cereals in three seeding ratios (i.e., 75:25, 50:50, and 75:25) on growth rate, plant height, chlorophyll content, forage yield, and N uptake. Growth rate of faba bean and cereals was lower in the mixtures than in the monocultures, especially in the faba bean--barley mixtures because of the strong competitive ability of barley. Chlorophyll content was lower in faba bean compared with the cereals, and there was no difference among seeding ratios. Plant height of faba bean was higher in the intercrops compared with its monocrop at 3 wk after tillering (WAT), whereas at 6 WAT, the trend was different since faba bean plants in the monocrop were higher than in the intercrops. Rye monocrop and rye--faba bean intercrops provided the greatest forage yield. Although the three intercrops of faba bean with rye had lower crude protein (CP) content than the faba bean monocrop, they provided the highest CP yields per hectare because of their higher forage yield than the faba bean monocrop. doi: 10.2135/cropsci2009.12.0735

Winter cereals are increasingly adopted for their use as cover crops in several cropping systems. This study was conducted to measure the effect of two barley (Hordeum vulgate L.) and six triticale (x Triticosecale) cultivars and three rye (Secale cereale L.) populations, used as cover crops, on the emergence and growth of barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.], bristly foxtail [Setaria verticillata (L.) P. Beauv.], large crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.], and sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris subsp, vulgaris). Also, bioassay studies were conducted to assess allelopathic potential of the winter cereal extracts on large crabgrass and sugarbeet. Large crabgrass and sugarbeet growth were reduced more by rye extracts than by triticale or barley. In the field, barnyardgrass, bristly foxtail, and large crabgrass emergence in mulched plots was 39 to 69%, 0 to 34%, and 0 to 78% lower, respectively, as compared with that in mulchfree plots. Sugarbeet yield in no-herbicide and herbicide subplots mulched with barley or rye was greater than that of triticale or mulchfree subplots. In particular, sugar yield in no-herbicide subplots mulched with 'Athinaida' barley or rye from Albania were about 7 and 26% less, respectively, than those obtained in the respective herbicide-treated subplots. These results suggest that Athinaida barley and the rye from Albania could be used as cover crops for annual grass weed suppression in sugarbeet.

Conservation tillage systems can play an important role in reducing soil erosion and improving soil quality with the extra benefit of being equal to or more economical than conventional tillage; however, yield variability still remains a major concern among farmers. Field experiments were conducted in 2003 through 2004 and 2004 through 2005 in northern Greece to determine the effect of seeding rate (100, 150, 200, and 250 kg [ha.sup.-1]) on wheat establishment and grain yield under three tillage systems (minimum, reduced, and conventional tillage). In addition, labor time and fuel consumption for wheat production under these tillage systems were compared. For all tillage systems, the greatest number of wheat plants was recorded at the two highest seeding rates (P < 0.05). However, wheat plant numbers, averaged over seeding rates, were reduced by 11 to 17% in minimum tillage compared with conventional and reduced tillage systems in both growing seasons. Ear numbers were unaffected by tillage systems but generally increased with the increased seed rate. However, differences were not found in grain yield either among tillage systems or seeding rates. Regarding labor time and fuel consumption, 50 and 53% savings was achieved with minimum tillage, respectively, and 43 and 48% with reduced tillage in comparison with conventional tillage. These findings indicate that wheat can be grown successfully under conservation tillage systems with yields equal to those of conventional tillage and lower labor and fuel inputs. Increasing of seeding rate favored crop establishment in all tillage systems, but it did not provide any grain yield advantage., CONSERVATION TILLAGE represents a broad spectrum of farming methods which are based on establishing crops in the previous crop's residues purposely left on the soil surface. The use of conservation [...]

Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of three rye (Secale cereale L.) populations, six triticale (X Triticosecale Wittm.) cultivars, and two barley (Hordeum vulgate L.) cultivars, used as cover crops, on the emergence and growth of barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.], bristly foxtail [Setaria verticillata (L.) P. Beauv.], and corn (Zea mays L.). Moreover, bioassay studies were conducted to assess allelopathic potential of the winter cereal extracts on both weed species and corn. All winter cereal extracts reduced barnyardgrass and bristly foxtail seed germination and growth, but none of them had any effect on corn. Bristly foxtail was affected more by all extracts than barnyardgrass, and growth of both weed species was reduced more by the extract of barley cultivar Athinaida. In field, 4 wk after corn planting, barnyardgrass and bristly foxtail emergence was reduced by 27 to 80% and 0 to 67%, respectively, in winter cereal mulched plots compared with that in winter cereal mulch-free plots. On the contrary, corn emergence was not affected by any cover crop mulch. At harvest, corn grain yield increased by 45% in no herbicide treated barley cultivar Athinaida mulched subplots as compared with that in respective mulch-free subplots. This corn yield in no herbicide treated Athinaida mulched subplots was similar with that obtained in respective herbicide-treated subplots. The results of this study suggest that some winter cereals such as barley cultivar Athinaida could be used as cover crop for annual grass weed suppression in corn and consequently to minimize herbicide applications., BARNYARDGRASS and bristly foxtail are considered to be among the world's worst weeds (Holm et al., 1977). In addition, barnyardgrass belongs to the 10 most common and troublesome weeds of [...]

Conservation tillage systems can be an important part of a sustainable agricultural system providing benefits for the farmers in terms of labor and fuel consumption; however, yield variability may discourage and slow adoption. Field experiments were conducted for four consecutive growing seasons in northern Greece to investigate the effect of three tillage systems (no-tillage, reduced tillage, and conventional tillage) on corn (Zea mays L.) establishment and silage yield and to compare human labor and fuel consumption required for corn production under these tillage systems in double cropping with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The effect of tillage system on wheat grain yield was also evaluated. No significant differences in the emergence of corn plants were found between no-tillage and conventional tillage in two out of the 4 yr of the experimentation; however, in 2 yr, the number of the emerged corn plants was lower by 26 and 16% with no-tillage than with conventional tillage apparently because of dry soil conditions at sowing. In all years, the number of emerged corn plants in reduced tillage did not differ significantly from the other two tillage systems. No significant differences in corn silage yield were found among tillage systems, with the exception of 1 yr where a reduction in corn biomass by 13% was recorded with notillage compared with conventional tillage. There were on average 35.9 and 5.6% total time saving and 36.0 and 7.2% total fuel saving with no-tillage and reduced tillage, respectively. Despite significant differences among years, wheat yield was not affected by tillage practices. No-tillage or reduced tillage corn following winter wheat could be successfully implemented under favorable soil conditions at sowing with the advantage of reducing labor and fuel consumption compared with conventional tillage., REDUCED TILLAGE PRACTICES have been widely used in the last decades as an attractive alternative to conventional tillage practices because of their potential to reduce production cost and benefit for [...]