Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at the Agricultural Experiments and Research Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt during 2016 and 2017 seasons to evaluate productivity of American, Chinese and Egyptian soybean genotypes under intercropping and solid plantings to achieve high land usage and net returns. Twenty soybean genotypes were grown under solid and intercropping plantings. Two intercropping systems were used in this study, the first system was two corn ridges (70 cm width) alternating with another two of soybean (2: 2), meanwhile the other system was mixed intercropping system by growing one row of corn in both the sides of the ridge (140 cm width) with growing two rows of soybean in middle of the ridge. A split plot distribution in randomized complete block design with three replicates was used. Cropping systems (intercropping systems and solid) were randomly assigned to the main plots and soybean genotypes were allocated in sub-plots. Intercropping systems caused significant reductions in seed yields per plant and per ha compared with soybean solid planting. There were not significant differences between intercropping systems for each of seed yields per plant and per ha, as well as relative yield (RY) of soybean. Over cropping systems, Egyptian variety Giza 111, and American varieties Crawford and Woodworth Black, as well as Chinese genotype C 24 recorded higher seed yield per plant and per ha. Egyptian variety Giza 111 gave the highest seed yields per plant and per ha. Growing two corn ridges alternating with another two of American variety Woodworth Black recorded the highest LER, soybean income, total return and MAI followed by Chinese genotypes C 24. Growing American variety Crawford or Egyptian variety Giza 111 in mixed system gave the highest LER, soybean income, total income and MAI.