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sufficiency ratio was increase to 61%. Table 6.5 also indicated that more governorates could attain self-sufficiency in addition to surplus in wheat production. These
governorates are Behira, Kafr El-Sheik and Sharkia in Lower Egypt, in addition to
New Valley in Upper Egypt.
6.3.3 Wheat Intercropping with Other Crops
Katyayan (2005) defined intercropping as a system of management of crops which
involves growing two or more dissimilar crop species simultaneously in distinct row
combination on the same piece of land. Intercropping offers a potential benefit over
monoculture cultivation for yield increase through more effective use of resources,
including water, nutrients, and solar energy (Nasri et al. 2014). This practice could
be used as a way to improve soil fertility, increase land productivity and save on the
applied irrigation water (Kamel et al. 2010), as well as increase water productivity
as a result of using less water to irrigate two crops (Andersen 2005).
Furthermore, implementing intercropping systems can increase food availability
and security (Ouma and Jeruto 2010). The most common reason for the adoption of
intercropping systems technique is yield advantage, which is explained by the
greater resource depletion by intercrops than monocultures (Hauggaard-Nielsen
et al. 2006). The efficiency of the intercropping is directly depends on proper management of the factors of production, such as the spatial arrangement of crops and
planting density, where it can reduce the competition for resources and increase the
efficiency of the system (Porto et al. 2011). These factors, when properly managed,
can bring ecological and economic benefits, as a result of increasing production
when compared to monoculture (Batista et al. 2016).
The conventional ways of intensifying crop production are vertical and horizontal expansions, however intercropping offers two additional dimensions, time and
space (Zohry and Ouda 2017). Francis (1986) stated that the intensification of land
and resources use in space dimension is an important aspect of intercropping, where
it enhance the efficient use of light as two or more species occupy the same land
during a significant part of the growing season and have different pattern of foliage
display. Furthermore, different rooting patterns can explore greater and different
soil volume and depth (Francis 1986). These differences in foliage display and rooting patterns create the space dimension of intercropping (Dunn et al. 1999).
Assessment of the contribution of five intercropping systems of wheat on increasing its cultivated area and production was done. These five intercropping systems
are wheat intercropping with winter tomato (Abd El-Zaher et al. 2013), cotton relay
intercropped with wheat (Lamlom et al. 2018), wheat intercropping with sugar beet
(Abou-Elela 2012), wheat intercropped under fruit trees, and wheat intercropped
with sugarcane (Ahmed et al. 2013).
6 Wheat Insufficiency and Deficit Irrigation
sufficiency ratio was increase to 61%. Table 6.5 also indicated that more governorates could attain self-sufficiency in addition to surplus in wheat production. These
governorates are Behira, Kafr El-Sheik and Sharkia in Lower Egypt, in addition to
New Valley in Upper Egypt.
6.3.3 Wheat Intercropping with Other Crops
Katyayan (2005) defined intercropping as a system of management of crops which
involves growing two or more dissimilar crop species simultaneously in distinct row
combination on the same piece of land. Intercropping offers a potential benefit over
monoculture cultivation for yield increase through more effective use of resources,
including water, nutrients, and solar energy (Nasri et al. 2014). This practice could
be used as a way to improve soil fertility, increase land productivity and save on the
applied irrigation water (Kamel et al. 2010), as well as increase water productivity
as a result of using less water to irrigate two crops (Andersen 2005).
Furthermore, implementing intercropping systems can increase food availability
and security (Ouma and Jeruto 2010). The most common reason for the adoption of
intercropping systems technique is yield advantage, which is explained by the
greater resource depletion by intercrops than monocultures (Hauggaard-Nielsen
et al. 2006). The efficiency of the intercropping is directly depends on proper management of the factors of production, such as the spatial arrangement of crops and
planting density, where it can reduce the competition for resources and increase the
efficiency of the system (Porto et al. 2011). These factors, when properly managed,
can bring ecological and economic benefits, as a result of increasing production
when compared to monoculture (Batista et al. 2016).
The conventional ways of intensifying crop production are vertical and horizontal expansions, however intercropping offers two additional dimensions, time and
space (Zohry and Ouda 2017). Francis (1986) stated that the intensification of land
and resources use in space dimension is an important aspect of intercropping, where
it enhance the efficient use of light as two or more species occupy the same land
during a significant part of the growing season and have different pattern of foliage
display. Furthermore, different rooting patterns can explore greater and different
soil volume and depth (Francis 1986). These differences in foliage display and rooting patterns create the space dimension of intercropping (Dunn et al. 1999).
Assessment of the contribution of five intercropping systems of wheat on increasing its cultivated area and production was done. These five intercropping systems
are wheat intercropping with winter tomato (Abd El-Zaher et al. 2013), cotton relay
intercropped with wheat (Lamlom et al. 2018), wheat intercropping with sugar beet
(Abou-Elela 2012), wheat intercropped under fruit trees, and wheat intercropped
with sugarcane (Ahmed et al. 2013).
6 Wheat Insufficiency and Deficit Irrigation