EFFECT OF TILLAGE SYSTEMS AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION ON YIELD AND YIELD COMPONENTS OF INTERCROPPED SOYBEAN TO SUNFLOWER IN CALCAREOUS SOILS

A field experiment was conducted at Nubaria Agric. Res. Station during 2003 and 2004 summer seasons to study the effect of two tillage systems (tillage and no-tillage), two cropping systems (solid and intercropped) as well as three nitrogen fertilizer levels (45, 60 and 75 kg N/fad.) on yield and yield components of soybean and sunflower as well as the competitive relations of soybean andsunflower in new reclaimed land (calcareous soil). The experimental treatments were assigned in a split-split plot design with four replications. Soybean results revealed that tillage systems and intercropping treatments significantly affected plant height, number of pods/plant, seed yield/plant and seed protein content in both seasons. Increasing N levels increased pIant height, numberof pods/plant, seed yield/plant, seed yield/fad., seed protein content and 100-seed weight. These results hold fairly true in both seasons, except for 100 seed weight in the second season. The highest soybean yield/fad. was obtained from monoculture growing in tillage soil and receiving 75 kg N/fed in the two seasons. Data of sunflower revealed also that tillage systems significantly affected plant height, number of leaves/plant, 100-seed weight, seed yield/plant and seed yield/fad. in the two seasons. Intercropping treatments and N fertilizer levels significantly affected plant height, number of leaves/plant, head diameter, 100-seed weight, seed yield/plant, seed yield/fad. and seedoil content in both seasons. The highest seed yield/fad. of sunflower was obtained from growing in rnonoculture, in tillage soil and adding 75 kg N/fad. in both seasons. Results indicated that land equivalent ratio (LER) of soybean and sunflower in all treatments was more than one. Sunflower was always dominant, whereas soybean was less dominated.