Intercropping of Lettuce with Mint (Mentha piperita) Fertilized with Rooster Tree (Calotropis procera) Plus Cattle Manure
Antonio Ademar Farias Lima
Department of Agronomic and Forestry Sciences at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region –UFERSA, Brazil.
Paulo César Ferreira Linhares *
Department of Agronomic and Forestry Sciences at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region –UFERSA, Brazil.
Adrielle Luciene dos Santos
Department of Agronomic and Forestry Sciences at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region –UFERSA, Brazil.
Andréia Aparecida Batista Sampaio
Department of Agronomic and Forestry Sciences at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region –UFERSA, Brazil.
Daniel da Silva Lima
Department of Agronomic and Forestry Sciences at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region –UFERSA, Brazil.
Francisca Davila de Lima
Department of Agronomic and Forestry Sciences at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region –UFERSA, Brazil.
Tainara Cristina Rodrigues da Silva
Department of Agronomic and Forestry Sciences at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region –UFERSA, Brazil.
Jezimiel Oliveira da Silva
Department of Agronomic and Forestry Sciences at the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region –UFERSA, Brazil.
Walter Martins Rodrigues
Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region –UFERSA- Brazil.
Lunara de Sousa Alves
Federal University of Paraíba-UFPB-Brazil.
José Roberto de Sá
Vale do Acaraú State University, Brazil.
Aline Carla de Medeiros
Federal University of Campina Grande-UFCG, Brazil.
Uilma Laurentino da Silva
Federal University of Campina Grande-UFCG, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Intercropping lettuce and peppermint improves crop productivity and offers environmental and economic benefits. In Brazil’s semi-arid region, combining cattle manure with green manure from native species can reduce production costs and enhance soil fertility sustainably.
Aim: The combined application of organic fertiliser sources plays a crucial role in promoting the optimal growth and development of horticultural and medicinal crops, particularly within intercropping systems.
Place of Study: The experiment was conducted at the experimental farm of the Federal Rural University of the Semi-Arid Region (UFERSA), Brazil, located at latitude 5°03′37″ S and longitude 37°23′50″ W, at an altitude of 72 m above sea level. The study aimed to evaluate the intercropping of lettuce with mint (Mentha piperita) under fertilisation with a mixture of rooster tree (Calotropis procera) biomass and cattle manure.
Study Design and Methodology: The experiment was arranged in a randomised complete block design using a 4 × 2 factorial scheme, with three replications. The treatments consisted of four application rates of a mixture of rooster tree (Calotropis procera) and cattle manure (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 kg m⁻²) combined with two cropping systems, namely monocropping and intercropping.
Mint (Mentha piperita) Evaluated Characteristics: For mint (Mentha piperita) cultivation, the following characteristics were evaluated: biomass height, green mass, number of bunches and dry mass.
Evaluation of Lettuce Crop Characteristics: plant height, number of leaves, production and dry matter mass.
Conclusions: The soil application of the mixture of organic fertilizers [rooster tree (Calotropis procera) plus cattle manure] greatly contributed to the increase in productivity, with maximum values of 760.5 and 310.96 g m-2 for monocropping and intercropping cultivation, respectively, in the mint (Mentha piperita) and lettuce intercropping system at the dose of 3.0 kg m-2. In lettuce cultivation, the maximum values were 893.83 and 344.30 g m⁻² for monoculture and intercropped cultivation, respectively, at the rate of 3.0 kg m⁻². The intercropping system demonstrated potential for productive use of physical space, represented by the area-equivalent ratio (AER), with a maximum value of 1.45, in the quantity of 3.0 kg m-2 of rooster tree and bovine manure.
Keywords: Agriculture, agroecological production, medicinal plant, horticultural plant