Abstract:
This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of paired row planting of radish (Raphanus
sativus L.) intercropped with vegetable amaranthus (Amaranthus tricolor L.) on yield
components of radish in sandy regosol at Agronomy farm, Eastern University, Sri Lanka in
Yala 2007. This experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD)
with four replicates and six treatments. Base crop (T1) and intercrop (T2) were grown in
pure stands and other treatments were 20/50 cm paired row planting of radish with three
(T3) or four (T4) rows of vegetable amaranthus in between paired rows of radish and 25/40
cm paired row planting of radish with three (T5) or two (T6) rows of vegetable amaranthus
in between paired rows of radish. Growth parameters were recorded at regular intervals.
The results showed that land equivalent ratio was superior in all tested intercropping
treatments. In T3, radish yield was high (37.8 tons/ha) and most of the yield components
exhibited high average values as compared with other intercropping treatments. The present
study revealed that 20/50 cm paired row planting of radish with three rows of vegetable
amaranthus in between paired rows of radish (T3) would be the most suitable planting system
in sandy regosol.
