STUDIES ON THE SOIL MOISTURE DEPLETION PATTERN IN JATROPHA CURCAS BASED INTERCROPPING SYSTEM
M. K. SINGH, R. K. ARYA, PAWAN KUMAR, V. DALAL AND RAKESH KUMAR
Department of Dryland Agriculture
CCS Haryana Agricultural University,
Hisar-125 004 (Haryana), India
(e-mail : mks.hau.cssri@gmail.com)
(Received : 30 November 2015; Accepted : 24 December 2015)
SUMMARY
In order to find out the depletion of moisture content in Jatropha based intercropping system where kharif crops i. e. pearl millet cv. HHB-67, greengram cv. MH-96-1, lusterbean cv. HG-563 and mothbean cv. RMO-40 were sown in 4.5 x 7.5 m size plots at Forestry Farm of CCSHAU, Hisar. Moisture content was studied at the time of sowing, before first and second irrigations at 1 m and 2.5 m distance from Jatropha line planted at 5 x 3 m spacing. Vertical moisture depletion at 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40, 40-50, 50-60, 60-70, 70-80 and 80-90 cm depths was also recorded in Jatropha based intercropping system and in control. The results revealed that depletion of moisture content was higher at 1 m distance as compared to 2.5 m distance due to severe competition of test crops with Jatropha plantation. Maximum moisture depletion pattern was recorded up to 0-50 cm depth in both Jatropha based intercropping system and in control. However, higher moisture depletion was recorded in Jatropha based intercropping system than control. Grain yield of test crops was significantly reduced in Jatropha based intercropping system as compared to control during both the years of study.
Key words:Moisture depletion, Jatropha, inercropping system, bajra, guar, moong, moth