Viabilidade técnica do consórcio taro, alface e bertalha em sistema de cultivo de base agroecológica no Distrito Federal

Abstract

This work aimed to evaluate the technical viability of taro intercropping with lettuce and Malabar spinach. The experiment was carried out at the Agua Limpa Farm of the University of Brasília, in Brasília, DF, from October 2014 to June 2015. The agronomic characteristics of taro rhizomes were evaluated in monoculture and under the double and triple intercropping arrangements with vegetables lettuce and malabar spinach. The experimental design was of completely randomized blokes, with seven treatments and four replications. Each experimental plot had 18m² size. The treatments were: monoculture of lettuce, monoculture of malabar spinach, monoculture of taro, intercropping lettuce/ malabar spinach, intercropping lettuce/taro, intercropping Malabar spinach/taro and intercropping lettuce/bertalha/taro. The parameters evaluated were lateral rhizomes number ad fresh weight per plant. The highest number of lateral rhizomes per plant and the highest average fresh mass per plant were observed in the lettuce/taro and lettuce/malabar spinach/taro treatments, demonstrating the advantages of intercropping to taro production.