Peanut Yield and Changes of Soil properties by Intercropping in Upland Cropping Systems of Southeast Cambodia

Abstract

Successive monocropping with cassava in upland areas of Cambodia has led to a progressive decline in soil fertility. The aim of the present study was to investigate the change of soil properties and examine the growth and yield of peanut in intercropping cultivation in the upland cropping systems of Cambodia. Seven intercropping treatments were studied: T1 (cassava + mungbean + fertilizer rotation with fallowing); T2 (cassava + peanut + fertilizer rotation with fallowing); T3 (cassava + fertilizer rotation with fallowing); T4 (cassava + no fertilizer); T5 (mungbean + fertilizer rotation with cassava + mungbean + no fertilizer); T6 (peanut + fertilizer rotation with cassava + peanut + no fertilizer) and T7 (stylo + fertilizer rotation with cassava + no fertilizer) were designed and conducted in the fields of farmers in Prey Veng and Svay Rieng provinces. Field data indicated that peanut yield increased in the order of: T2 > T7 > T1 > T6 > T5 > T3 > T4. Analysis revealed there were significant differences in peanut yield among all seven treatments, with the yield of T4 being significantly lower than that of T2 and T7. The mean of the peanut yields were greater than 2.1t h^-1 for all treatments. The total N, K and phosphate of the pre-treatment analysis did not significantly differ from those of the post-treatment analysis. This study suggests that intercropping cultivation could provide a sustainable harvestable yield of peanut in the upland cropping system in Cambodia.