VEGETATIVE GROWTH OF PEACH TREES [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] ASSOCIATED WITH NATIVE SQUASH (Cucurbita pepo ssp. pepo L.) AND BAYOCOTE (Phaseolus coccineus L.) IN MILPA INTERCROPPED WITH FRUIT TREES (MIAF) SYSTEMS

The scarcity of basic foodstuffs in the Mazahua region of the State of Mexico, Mexico, reflects the scarcity of arable land in peasant agriculture. This issue was exacerbated in the early years of the Milpa Intercropped with Fruit Trees system (MIAF, for its Spanish acronym), because the fruit tree strip occupied up to 40 % of the area while producing no food or income during its vegetative growth stage. Native squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) and bayocote (Phaseolus coccineus L.) are basic species in the Mazahua diet, but it is unknown whether they have an adverse effect on the vegetative growth of the newly planted peach trees [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] when grown in association. The goal of this research was to evaluate the effect of native squash and bayocote, grown in the fruit tree strip of the MIAF system, on the vegetative growth of peach trees for efficient soil intensification during the juvenile period of the tree. The treatments primarily involved associating peach trees with native squash, bayocote, and uncovered soil. The experimental design comprised randomized blocks with three replications. Vegetative growth, shoot biomass, root distribution, and soil moisture content were evaluated 60, 120, and 180 days after planting. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and comparison of means with the Tukey test (p ≤ 0.05) using the SAS 9.4 program. The native squash decreased the diameter and stem biomass of the peach trees since there was greater root overlap between the two species and less soil moisture. In contrast, with the association of the fruit tree with bayocote, the root distribution of the peach tree was greater, with no decrease in the diameter, height, or biomass of its stem. Local species such as bayocote have the potential to be grown in the fruit tree strip of the MIAF system in their first year of establishment.