NAVISH KUMAR, A. K. DHAKA*, SATISH KUMAR, BHAGAT SINGH, JITENDER KUMAR BHATIA AND GAURENDRA GUPTA
Department of Agronomy,
CCS Haryana Agricultural University,
Hisar-125 004 (Haryana) India
*(e-mail : dhakaanilkumar@yahoo.in)
(Received : 27 October 2020; Accepted : 3 December 2020)
SUMMARY
A field experiment was conducted at CCS HAU, Hisar during Kharif season of 2019 in randomized block design, replicated thrice with thirteen treatments to evaluate the maize based intercropping systems taking soybean, urdbean, clusterbean and mungbean as intercrop with planting patterns of maize + intercrop (1:1) and paired row planting of maize (60:105 cm) with two rows of intercrops in between two pairs. It was concluded that among all intercropping systems, paired row planting of maize at 60:105 cm along with two rows of mungbean in between two pairs was recorded with significantly higher Maize Equivalent Yield (5647 kg/ha), Relative Crowding Coefficient for system (3.73), Land Equivalent Ratio (1.29), net return (61335), Benefit cost ratio (2.37) and per day return (Rs.515.4/ha/day) closely followed by maize + mungbean (1:1) in terms of maize equivalent yield and economics. All indices used for evaluation of intercropping systems under study were significantly influenced by intercropping treatments. Maize was recorded with higher competitive ratio and aggresivity values compared to intercrops, which shows the more competitive nature of maize over intercrops. Among intercrops, mungbean and soybean showed higher competitive nature compared to urdbean and cluster bean against maize crop. Hence, for sustenance of our natural resources and relative economic profitability maize growers should go for paired row planting of maize (60:105 cm) along with two rows of mungbean in between two pairs followed by maize + mungbean (1:1) instead of sole planting of maize.
Key words:Aggresivity, benefit cost ratio, cluster bean, competitive ratio, intercropping, land equivalent ratio, maize, mung bean, soybean, urd bean