Effect of maize and potato intercropping on yield and yield components in early spring planting in Jiroft region

determine the effect of intercropping of maize with potato on yield، yield components of two crops and land equivalent ratio (LER)، a field experiment was conducted in Shahid Moghabeli Agricultural Research Center of Jiroft and Kahnooj، Iran، in 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons. The experiment was grown as earlyplanting in spring. The experimental treatments included; maize sole cropping (T1)، potato sole cropping (T2) and intercropping of potato: maize with planting row ratios: 1:2 (T3)، 2:2 (T4)، 1:1 (T5)، 2:1 (T6)، 2:2 (T7، in which 100% plant density was used for maize and 100% was used for potato)، 1:3 (T8)، 3:1 (9)، 2:3 (T10)، 3:2 (T11)، 4:2 (T12)، 2:4 (T13)، 2:2 (T14 in which 100% plant density was used for corn and 50% was used for potato). The experimental design was randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that the highest maize yield (11690 kg ha-1) was obtained in treatment T8 (1 row of potato and rows of maize) which was higher than that in maize sole cropping. The highest potato tuber yield (16010 kg ha 1) was produced in potato sole cropping. The highest LER was obtained in T8 (1. 61). It is concluded that potato: maize intercropping with planting row ratios of 1:3 was more suitable in early spring planting in Jiroft region in Iran.