Effect of Compost Tea Application on Disease Incidence and productivity of Intercropping Maize and Soybean

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Sakha Agricultural Researches Station, ARC, Egypt, during seasons of 2023 and 2024 to decide the effect of compost tea application on productivity and some disease incidence in the intercropping system of maize and soybean. The experimental design was randomized complete blocks design in four replicates. The intercropping system was 100% of recommended density of maize and 50% of recommended density of soybean. The six studied compost tea treatments were soil addition of compost tea at 12 liters/ha, foliar spraying of compost tea at 12 liters/ha, soil addition of compost tea at 12 liters/ha plus foliar spraying with compost tea at the rates of 6, 12, 18 and 24 liters/ha compared to without compost tea addition. Soil addition of 12 liters/ha alongside foliar spraying with compost tea at 24 liters/ha significantly increased values of all studied characters of both maize and soybean, also significantly reduce percent of stalk rot disease, northern leaf blight, Southern Leaf Blight of maize and anthracnose of soybean under intercropping system. Also, the highest values of land equivalent ratio (LER), relative crowding coefficient (RCC) and net return were produced by compost tea soil addition at 12 liters/ha and foliar application at 24 liters/ha. So, it can be concluded that the lowest disease incidence and maximum productivity of both crops, LER, and economic return under intercropping system of soybean and maize were obtained from application of compost tea as soil addition with 12 liters/+foliar spraying with 24 liters/ha.