Abstract :
An experiment with randomized complete block design including four replications and eight treatments was carried out in investigation field of Ferdowsi university of Mashhad to compare various combinations of safflower and chickpea intercropping. The treatments included A: strip intercropping, B: 100% overlapping, C: 66% overlapping, E: 34% overlapping, F: 83% overlapping, G: 17% overlapping, D: pure chickpea culture, H: pure safflower culture. Evaluation of yield and yield components of chickpea revealed that dry weight of vegetative parts, grain yield, biological yield, grain number per pod and pod number per stand were significantly influenced by the various combinations of cultivation regime, and the highest values for these traits were obtained in strip intercropping. The highest chickpea grain yield as 4600kg/ha was obtained in treatment A (strip intercropping); whereas the lowest grain yield as 1500 kg/ha was observed in the treatment E(34% overlapping). Evaluation of land equivalent ratio indicated that the highest LER (2.46) and the lowest LER (1.34) were achieved in treatment A (strip intercropping) and treatment E (row intercropping with 34% overlapping), respectively. Strip intercropping is recommended if chickpea is the main target of intercropping.
