Analysis of population proportions of green mustard (<i>Brassica juncea</i> L.) intercropped with gambas (<i>Luffa acutangula</i>) to increase the yield in peatlands

Abstract Vegetables are one of the horticultural commodities that fulfill the need for calories, vitamins, minerals, and fiber, for example green mustard and gambas. The increase of vegetable crop production could be achieved by optimizing land use through intercropping. This study aimed to analyze the difference of monoculture compared to the intercropping system and to determine the best proportion of green mustard population that would increase the yield of mustard and gambas in the intercropping system on peatland. The research used a randomized group design with five replications. The factor studied was the proportion of green mustard plants intercropped with gambas plants, namely: j 1 = Monoculture of green mustard spacing 20 cm x 20 cm, j 2 = Green mustard spacing 30 cm x 20 cm intercropped with gambas spacing 40 cm x 200 cm, j 3 = Green mustard spacing 40 cm x 20 cm intercropped with gambas spacing 40 cm x 160 cm, j 4 = Green mustard spacing 50 cm x 20 cm intercropped with gambas spacing 40 cm x 120 cm, and j 5 = Monoculture of gambas spacing 40 cm x 80 cm. The results confirmed that gambas fruit fresh weight and green mustard fresh weight per plant was better in intercropping system, however, the yield of these two crops was greater in monoculture. The green mustards which were planted at spacing 30 cm x 20 cm intercropped with gambas spacing 40 cm x 200 cm, was the best proportion in intercropping in peatland compared to others population proportion.