Biocompatibility of sweetpotato and peanut in a hydroponic system

'Georgia Red' peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and TU-82-155 sweetpotato [Ipomo ea batatas (L.) Lam] were grown in monocultured or intercropped recirculati ng hydroponic systems in a greenhouse using the nutrient film technique (NF T), The objective was to determine whether growth and subsequent yield woul d be affected by intercropping. Treatments were sweetpotato monoculture (SP ), peanut monoculture (PN), and sweetpotato and peanut grown in separate NF T channels but sharing a common nutrient solution (SP-PN), Greenhouse condi tions ranged from 24 to 33 degrees C, 60% to 90% relative humidity (RH), an d photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) of 200 to 1700 mu mol.m(-2).s(-1). Sweet potato cuttings (15 cm long) and 14-day-old seedlings of peanuts were plant ed into growth channels (0.15 x 0.15 x 1.2 m), Plants were spaced 25 cm apa rt within and 25 cm apart between growing channels. A modified half-Hoaglan d solution with al N : 2.4 K ratio was used. Solution pH was maintained bet ween 5.5 and 6.0 for treatments involving SP and 6.4 and 6.7 for PN, Electr ical conductivity (EC) ranged between 1100 and 1200 mu S.cm(-1). The number of storage roots per sweetpotato plant was similar for both SP and SP-PN, Storage soot fresh and dry mass were 29% and 36% greater, respectively, for plants in the SP-PN treatment than for plants in the SP treatment. The per cent dry mass of the storage roots, dry mass of fibrous and pencil roots, a nd the length-to-diameter ratio of storage roots were similar for SP and SP -PN sweetpotato plants. Likewise, foliage fresh and dry mass and harvest in dex were not significantly influenced by treatment. Total dry mass was 37% greater for PN than for SP-PN peanut plants,and pod dry mass was 82% higher , Mature and total seed dry mass and fibrous root dry mass were significant ly greater for PN than for SP-PN plants. Harvest index (HI) was similar for both treatments. Root length tended to be lower for seedlings grown in the nutrient solution from the SP-PN treatment.