TOPOLOGICAL ARRANGEMENTS OF BEANS WITH CORN IN THE CENTER OF CHIAPAS

Abstract

In the State of Chiapas, México, several cropping systems are used with corn and dry beans under rainfall conditions. In arder to know which one produces higher yields, economic returns, and relative land efficiency (RLE), an experiment was establ ished at each of two locations in Central Chiapas: Villaflores (V) and Venustiano Carranza (VC). En each experiment, one to three rows planted only with dry beans were alternated with 1 or 2 rows of both species interplanted along the row, on the same date. In theses treatments, corn was seeded 15 days after beans too. Yield trial also involved unicultures of both species. Main results were: a) Planting corn 15 days later produced no effect on yields of either crop in V; whereas in VC corn yield decreased while bean yield increased; b) Corn in uniculture outyielded all associations; e) Bean yields of sorne treatments were as high as that of bean sole-crop; d) RLE of all cropping arrangements was higher than 1 .0.