Application of Mycorrhiza-Biofertilizer to Increase Yield of Several Varieties of Soybean Intercropped Between Maize Double Rows of Different Row Spacings

Abstract

This research aimed to examine the effects of application of mycorrhiza biofertilizer on yield performance of several varieties of soybean relay-planted between double rows of maize plants grown under different planting distances between rows. The experiment was arranged according to Split Split Plot Design, with three treatment factors, i.e. mycorrhiza biofertilizer (M0= without; M1= with mycorrhiza biofertilizer) as the main plots, soybean varieties (V1= Detap, V2: Biosoy-2, V3= Dena-1) as the subplots, and planting distances between double rows of maize in which two rows of soybean were grown (D1= 80; D2= 90; D3= 100 cm) as the sub-subplots. The results indicated that among those treatment factors, different varieties resulted in significant differences on all measurement variables, while increasing planting distances between maize double rows also significantly increased yield components of soybean, including branch number, pod number, and grain yield per clump, as well as weight of 100 grains, whereas application of mycorrhiza biofertilizer to the soybean plants only significantly increased branch number, pod number, and grain yield per clump. However, mycorrhiza biofertilizer showed interaction effect on most variables, especially in interaction with varieties and double row distances. Based on the patterns of mycorrhiza-varieties interaction, application of mycorrhiza biofertilizer significantly increased pod number (28%) on V1 showing the highest pod number on M1V1 treatment (87.87 pod/clump), while grain yield was highest on M1V3 (26.54 g/clump) and lowest (17.19 g/clump) on M0V1 treatment. The intercropping/monocropping yield ratio was also increased by application of mycorrhiza biofertilizer (from 69.33 to 88.18%) on V2.