Intercropping System and Biofertilizers as Complementary Strategies for Increasing the Efficiency of a Sustainable Cabbage, Brassica oleracea and lettuce, Lactuca sativa L. Farming System

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to maximize productivity per unit area for cabbage and lettuce crops using the intercropping system and increase its efficiency with biofertilizers. The study compared a monocropping with an intercropping system in combination with bio-fertilization to improve growth, yield, soil efficiency, water efficiency, and reduce chemical residual impacts on the soil. In the two winter, seasons of 2019 and 2020, three fertilizer treatments,100% recommended mineral fertilization (RMF), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and mixed treatment (AMF and 50% RMF) were conducted in monocropping and intercropping systems for cabbage and lettuce. The experiments were done in a factorial randomized complete block designed. The results revealed no significant differences between mono and intercropped systems for most horticultural traits in two seasons, except for the head length and diameter of cabbage that were affected by the intercropping system. The mixed treatment supported the intercropping system to outperform all treatments. The mixed treatment recorded the highest horticultural parameter values and the most improvement of mineral uptake, potential of hydrogen (pH), total dissolved solids (TDS), and enzyme activities in plants and soil, as well as an economical use efficiency for yield, water, and soil. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the intercropping system with biofertilizers in producing a high yield of crops while also preserving biological balance of soil, particularly in light of agricultural area fragmentation and climate change challenges.