Arugula and jambu intercropping with controlled irrigation increases land use efficiency under semi-arid conditions

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the production characteristics and the efficiency of land and water use in monoculture and intercropping of arugula with jambu under water regimes in two crop cycles in the semi-arid region of Ceará, Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks, in a split-plot scheme, with 20 treatments and four replicates. The plots were irrigation, corresponding to 50, 75, 100, 125 and 150% of ETc. The subplots were the intercropping and single systems. In each cycle, the growth characteristics of the plants and the efficiency of water and land use were evaluated. The highest values were obtained for number of leaves, height, and fresh and dry mass of aerial parts and roots of arugula plants when intercropped. The best results for the growth variables of jambu were obtained for plants grown in monoculture. The productivity values were higher in the single-cropping system; however, the average land use efficiency values in the intercropped system were 1.23 and 1.28 in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The best results were obtained with 75% ETc (DI75) for arugula and full irrigation with 100% ETc (TI100) and excess irrigation with 125% ETc (EI125) for jambu. Water use efficiency was higher in the single system. The productivity indices obtained with the arugula-jambu intercropped system and DI75 confirm the higher biological efficiency. Based on the above, it is concluded that arugula and jambu are promising for intercropping under semi-arid conditions.