Studies on Intercropping Maize (Zea mays L.) with Clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] at Varying Fertility Levels under Rainfed Conditions
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Date
2012
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Publisher
MPUAT, Udaipur
Abstract
A field experiment entitled “Study on Intercropping Maize (Zea mays L.) with
Clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] at Varying Fertility Levels under
Rainfed Conditions” was conducted during Kharif 2011 at the Instructional Farm,
Department of Agronomy, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur. The objectives were to
assess feasibility of maize + clusterbean intercropping system under varying row arrangement
to standardize nutrient application for maize crop in maize + clusterbean intercropping
system. The experiment consisted 16 treatment combinations comprising of five
intercropping and row arrangements [maize sole (60cm x 25cm), maize (75cm x 20cm) +
clusterbean (1:2), maize (60cm x 25cm) + clusterbean (1:1), maize (50cm x 30cm) +
clusterbean (1:1) maize (30cm x 25cm) + clusterbean (2:2)], three fertility levels applied to
maize crop (100, 75 and 50 per cent recommended dose of fertilizer) and absolute control i.e.
clusterbean sole (30cm x 10cm). The recommended dose of fertilizer consisted of 90 kg N
and 30 kg P2O5 ha-1. These treatments were replicated thrice in factorial randomized block
design.
The results show that sole maize crop accumulated significantly higher amount of
DMA plant-1 at successive growth stages over various intercropping systems. These
improvements under sole system manifested in improvement in yield attributes consequently
gave significantly highest maize yields (26.14, 59.24 and 85.38 q ha-1 grain, stover and
biological, respectively) and clusterbean yields (7.34, 24.01 and 31.35 q ha-1 seed, haulm and
biological, respectively) under sole system. Conversely, significantly highest total uptake of
nutrients (N and P) were recorded under sole maize in comparison to intercropping system.
Amongust planting systems, maize (75cm x 20cm) + clusterbean (1:2) significantly increased
yield attributes of maize resulted significantly higher yield of maize (23.03, 54.48 and 77.51 q ha-1 grain, stover and biological, respectively) and clusterbean yields (3.70, 11.82 and 15.52
q ha-1 seed, haulm and biological, respectively) compared to maize (60cm x 25cm) +
clusterbean (1:1), maize (50cm x 30cm) + clusterbean (1:1). This system also showed greater
efficiency in producing higher maize equivalent yield (39.84 q ha-1) with higher LER (1.42),
LEC (0.46), net monetary returns (Rs. 41510 ha-1) and B:C ratio (Rs. 2.96) in comparison to
other systems. The intercropping system namely maize (30cm x 25cm) + clusterbean (2:2)
system was found next best system with yield of maize (22.65 q ha-1) and clusterbean (3.63 q
ha-1), maize equivalent yield (39.15 q ha-1), LER (1.38), LEC (0.45), net returns (Rs. 40289
ha-1) and B:C ratio (Rs. 2.82).
The application of 100% RDF to maize being at par with 75% RDF both levels
significantly increased plant height, DMA at successive growth stages, yield attributes and
concentration of nutrients by maize plant. This improvement ultimately led to realization of
highest grain/seed yield of maize (24.7, 23.4 q ha-1) and clusterbean (3.74, 3.55 q ha-1) crop
under 100 per cent and 75 per cent RDF, respectively.
Further application of 100 per cent and 75 per cent RDF to maize accumulated highest
quantum of N, P in grain, stover registering 25, 16.6 per cent higher total N and 22.8, 12.3
per cent higher total P, respectively over 50 per cent RDF. Intercropping of maize with clusterbean resulted in significant reduction in seed,
haulm and biological yields, by 51.91, 52.06 and 51.39 per cent respectively when compared
to sole clusterbean. On the contrary maize equivalent yield (35.82 q ha-1), LER (1.28), LEC
(0.54) and net returns (Rs. 36051 ha-1) were maximum and significantly higher when maize
intercropped with clusterbean compared to sole clusterbean but the B:C ratio (Rs. 2.78) was
significantly higher under sole over intercropping system.
Description
Studies on Intercropping Maize (Zea mays L.) with
Clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] at
Varying Fertility Levels under Rainfed Conditions
Keywords
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Citation
Shekhawat and Chaplot, 2012