Additive intercropping with soybean and increasing double-row distances improve yield of maize in East Lombok, Indonesia

Abstract It was found that the population of intercropped soybean and maize affected grain yield of both crops. This research analyzed the effects of maize double-row distances and intercropping with soybean on maize yield in dryland of East Lombok, Indonesia. The Split Plot design was applied to organize the two-factor experiment in three blocks. The main plot factor was intercropping (T0 = maize only; T1 = intercropping with Detap-1; T2 = with Dena-1 soybean variety) while the subplot was double-row distance (D1 = 80; D2 = 90; D3 = 100 cm). The results indicated that additive intercropping with soybean and increasing maize double-row distances in general significantly increased maize yield and its yield components, in which intercropping increased maize grain yield by an average of 22.3% with Detap-1 and 22.2% with Dena-1. However, the interaction effects were significant on cob weight, stover weight, harvest index, and grain yield per plant, in which maize grain yield under D3 increased by 29.9% in intercropping with Detap-1 (118.1 g/plant) and by 23.6% in intercropping with Dena-1 (112 g/plant), while monocropped maize yield increased by only 4.7% from D1 to D3 (86.85 versus 90.95 g/plant). These results highlight the importance of additive intercropping maize with soybean under wider maize double-row distances.