Published in Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXVIII, Issue 1
Written by Lilyana KOLEVA, Georgi DIMITROV
Intercropping increases plant diversity in the agroecosystem and thus supports regulatory mechanisms for pest populations. Aphids are economically important pests of barley and represent a significant threat to cereal grain production. The research was carried out in 2021 and 2023 under field conditions in Vrazhdebna, Sofia (42°70'76.1''N, 23°43'73.1''E). The intercropping system consisted of different varieties of winter feed and malting barley and legumes (chickpea and vetch) sown in rows of strips. This study was designed to investigate the effect of legume-barley intercropping on cereal aphid populations and barley production. The data obtained showed that the combination of barley and legumes resulted in a reduction in aphid numbers of up to 31.7%. The analysis revealed no statistically significant differences in aphid attack between different cultivars of winter feed and malting barley grown in mixtures with legumes. The LER values for economic yield indicate that this cropping system is conducive to barley production and effective in pest management within the agroecosystem.
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