Performance of sunflower hybrids intercropped with legumes reveled by AMMI analysis

Abstract

Intercropping, as ecologically designed agricultural system, could help in agriculture advancement for many crops. The aim of research was to evaluate the effects of legume-sunflower intercropping and their interaction on the sunflower seed yield during 2017 and 2018 vegetation seasons. A field experiment was set up by intercropping three sunflower hybrids (Dukat, Rimi PR, and NS Gricko) with three types of legumes (Vicia sativa L., Medicago sativa L., and Trifolium pratense L.), whereas sole crops of sunflower were used as control. The Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction Analysis (AMMI) was used to test the main effects and interaction of intercrops. Year × crop combinations were examined as 8 environments. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) tests of seed yield in 8 environments indicated highly significant effects of genotype, environment and their interaction, with the following share: genotype 61.78%, environment 27.69%, and interaction 10.53%. Mean seed yield of the hybrids varied from 3 t/ha (Dukat), 3.5 t/h (Rimi PR), to 4.4 t/ha (NS Gricko). Knowing that hybrid Dukat, which had the smallest seed yield, is a short vegetation hybrid, while NS Gricko, which had the highest seed yield, is a confectionary hybrid, the results were expected.