Corn and Beans, Symbiotic or Competitive?
Location
CSU
Student's Major
Anthropology
Student's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mentor's Name
Michael Scullin
Mentor's Department
Anthropology
Mentor's College
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Description
Native American horticulture is a topic that has been studied by many anthropologists. Often, they have reported that corn and beans were grown together. The com provided support for the beans to climb on, and the beans that were entwined around the corn stalks provided additional nitrogen for the com. However, little experimental data exist on the advantages and disadvantages of techniques that are believed to have been common practices, such as the growing of com and beans together. In an attempt to gain this data, an experimental plot was grown to test whether the growth of beans and com is or is not enhanced by interplanling rows of corn with rows of beans. This experimental plot consisted of three areas: one with 20 hills of com with 6 plants per hill, another with 11 hills of beans with 6 plants per hill, and the third area with 20 hills of com interplanted with hills of beans. It appears that the planting of com and beans together is beneficial.
Corn and Beans, Symbiotic or Competitive?
CSU
Native American horticulture is a topic that has been studied by many anthropologists. Often, they have reported that corn and beans were grown together. The com provided support for the beans to climb on, and the beans that were entwined around the corn stalks provided additional nitrogen for the com. However, little experimental data exist on the advantages and disadvantages of techniques that are believed to have been common practices, such as the growing of com and beans together. In an attempt to gain this data, an experimental plot was grown to test whether the growth of beans and com is or is not enhanced by interplanling rows of corn with rows of beans. This experimental plot consisted of three areas: one with 20 hills of com with 6 plants per hill, another with 11 hills of beans with 6 plants per hill, and the third area with 20 hills of com interplanted with hills of beans. It appears that the planting of com and beans together is beneficial.
