Yield and Quality of Intercropped Wheat with Faba Bean under Different Wheat Plant Densities and Slow – Release Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates in Sandy Soil

The rapid increase of the population in Egypt together with a limited cultivated area results in an acute need for additional production of various crops. A two – year field trial was conducted in El-Boustan region, South El-Tahrir Province, El-Behira Governorate, Egypt to decrease mineral nitrogen (N) inputs of intercropped wheat and increase yield and quality of the intercrops for achieve farmer's benefit compared to sole wheat under sandy soil conditions. A split-plot design with three replications was used. Quality of wheat grains and faba bean seeds was tested in the laboratories of Seed Technology Research Department, Field Crops Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center. For faba bean crop, average yield of intercropped faba bean with wheat was greater by intercropping faba bean with four rows of wheat in the same ridge. Slow – release N fertilizer rates of wheat did not affect all the studied faba bean traits. Also, faba bean yield and its attributes were not affected by the interaction between wheat plant density and slow – release N fertilizer rates of wheat. Quality of faba bean seeds was not affected by wheat plant density, slow – release N fertilizer rates of wheat and the interaction between them. For wheat crop, intercropping faba bean with six rows of wheat in the same ridge had the highest grain and protein yields per ha compared to the others. All the studied wheat traits were increased by increasing N fertilizer rates of wheat from 190.4 to 285.6 kg N/ha except biological and straw yields per ha. The interaction between wheat plant density and slow – release N fertilizer rates of wheat affected significantly most of the studied wheat traits. Quality of wheat grains was not affected significantly by wheat plant density or by the interaction between wheat plant density and slow – release N fertilizer rates of wheat, meanwhile the reverse was true for slow – release N fertilizer rates of wheat. Intercropping faba bean with four rows of wheat that received 238.0 kg N/ha in form of urea slow – release N improved N uptake of wheat compared to the other treatments. Land equivalent ratio and land equivalent coefficient values for intercrops were much greater than 1.00 and 0.25, respectively, indicating less land requirements of intercropping systems than sole wheat. Farmer's benefit was achieved by intercropping faba bean with four rows of wheat that received 83.3% of the recommended mineral N fertilizer rate of wheat under sandy soil conditions.