Evaluation of the behavior of cassava, corn and topocho crops under different associations

Associated crops represent an alternative to make efficient use of resources and increase yields per unit area and time. With the objective of evaluating the behavior of the yucca sector as monoculture and its association with corn and topocho under the agro-ecological conditions of the Alto Viento 10 degrees 02 '' N and 71 degrees 34 '' W hacienda in the municipality of La Canada, Zulia state, Venezuela. The treatments were monoculture: cassava (T1); corn (T2); topocho (T3) and crop associations: cassavacorn (T4) and cassava-corn-topocho (T5). The variables evaluated were: yield and the land use equivalent efficiency indexes (UET) and area-time equivalence ratio (REAT). The yield in cassava roots under monoculture was significantly superior to its yield under the associations and remained constant in the associations. This behavior was repeated in corn and topocho crops. The cassava-corn polyculture system registered a UET of 1.64; while in the cassava-corn-topocho association, a UET of 2.54 was obtained, with a yield of 154 %. The REAT was 0.97 for the cassava-maize association and 1.88 for cassava-maize-topocho. It is concluded that cassava cultivation could be established as a monoculture or associated with corn and / or topocho crops as an agricultural alternative to make efficient use of resources. It is recommended to continue conducting research on the evaluation of the behavior of crops and their different associations.