COMPETITIVE ABILITY OF MAIZE IN MIXTURE WITH CLIMBING BEAN IN ORGANIC FARMING

Intercropped crops represent an important production system in organic farming, especially maize/climbing bean mixture due to its high content of protein in bean seeds for human diet, and producing silage for ruminants. To test this hypothesis, the effects of maize (Zea mays L.) sown as a sole crop and maize/climbing bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. Cipro) mixtures on maize plant height, maize leaf area index, bean leaf area index and grain yield were investigated in field experiments on an organic farm following accepted rules of certification. The maize/climbing bean mixture increased maize plant height as well as maize and bean leaf area and reduced maize grain yield in comparison with maize sown as sole crop, but 477.5 kg ha-1seed yield of bean sown in mixture was obtained. Maize was a stronger competitor than bean. The overall conclusion is that maize/bean mixture has promise for producing valuable yield of maize and bean, but mixtures needs further investigation