Effect of Intercropping Ginger and Sweet Maize on Growth, Yield and Benefits

• Published in: Asian agricultural research Vol. 13; no. 7; pp. 45 - 53
• Main Authors: REN, Qingsheng, LI, Chengyong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 20.07.2021
• Edition: 1812
• Subjects: Agribusiness; Ginger, Sweet maize, Intercropping, Growth, Yield
• ISSN: 1943-9903
• DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.316971

Ginger is an important cash crop in Shandong Province and it usually takes the sole cropping in the production. In order to explore new ginger cultivation patterns and improve planting benefits, sweet maize (Jingengtian 1) was intercropped with ginger (Laiwu ginger). The plug seedling was performed for sweet maize on April 18. Ginger was planted with plastic film mulching on April 20, and double-row sweet maize seedlings were transplanted on the ridges of interlaced ginger fields on May 2. The sweet maize was harvested from July 18 to 25, and the tillering rate of sweet maize reached 100%. The number of tillers in intercropping was more than that of sole cropping, and the highest average tiller reached 5.32 per plant; when sweet maize was intercropped, the number of ears decreased by 17.35% and the ear weight decreased by 8.07%. Ginger was harvested on October 20, the number of branches of intercropping ginger decreased by 5.12% to 6.47%, and the rhizomes weight per plant decreased by 5.64% to 16.43%. The economic benefit of ginger intercropping sweet maize was higher than that of sole ginger cropping. The intercropping model increased the efficiency by 6.28% and 2.87% respectively in the two bases, and increased the net income by 12 000 and 5 000 yuan/ha, respectively.