Abstract

VALENZUELA, Cristian et al. Evapotranspiration and water use efficiency in maize-soybean intercrops and the sole crops. Meteorologica [online]. 2009, vol.34, n.2, pp.29-37. ISSN 1850-468X.

This work studies the real evapotranspiration (RET) and the water use efficiency (WUE) in a maize-soybean intercrop with two spatial arrangements and in their sole crops. The experiment was conducted in the UIB, FCA-UNMdP EEA INTA during the 2007-2008 season. Treatments were: a) 2 rows soybeans and 1 row maize intercrop (2_1), b) 3 rows soybean and 2 rows maize intercrop (3_2), c) sole maize and d) sole soybean. Crops were sown on October 18 (maize) and December 3 (soybean). RET accumulated from maize emergence to soybean physiological maturity was 586,7, 564,8, 570,5 y 596,0 mm for 2_1, 3_2, sole maize and sole soybean, respectively. Water use efficiency (WUE) as the quotient between accumulated shoot biomass and RET was significantly higher in sole maize (44,5 kg ha^-1mm^-1) than in sole soybean (18,6 kg ha-1mm^-1), 2_1 (35,3 kg ha^-1mm^-1) and 3_2 (35,3 kg ha^-1mm^-1). WUE of sole soybean was significantly lower than those of the intercrops. WUE as the quotient between grain biomass and RET, were 21,2, 5,5, 16,9 y 17,0 kg ha^-1mm^-1 for sole maize, sole soybean, 2_1 and 3_2 intercrop, respectively. Significant differences were like those found for shoot biomass WUE.

Keywords : Intercropping; Maize; Soybean; Evapotranspiration; Water use efficiency.

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