Plant Density and Spatial Management of Lentil Mustard Intercropping System
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Date
1998
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Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi
Abstract
Production of pulses coupled with oilseeds needs to be enhanced to match the national requirement. It can be possible through Intercropping system to a considerable extent. Plant density and spatial arrangements are the two important facets of agronomic practices for minimizing the competition and maximizing yield advantages of intercropping system. Field experiment was conducted during winter season of 1995-96 on a sandy loam soil, acidic in reaction (pH 5.9), low in available N (213.24kg/ha) and medium in available P20s (37.35kg/ha) and K20 (179.0kg/ha) at the Birsa Agricultural University Farm, Ranchi to determine the compatible plant density and row arrangements of lentil mustard intercropping system for higher productivity. The treatments consisted of 9 combinations of lentil mustard inter cropping along with their respective sole cropping. The first 6 Intercrop systems were in additive series with 100 t lentil 25 and 5% mustard each grown in 3 ratio (2:1, 3:1 and 5:1) and the remaining 3 in replacement series where 33, 25 row and 17 lentil were replaced by mustard in the corresponding row ratio of 2:1, 3:1 and 5:1. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications.
Intercropping of 100 % lentil 25 mustard and 832 lentil + 17 2 mustard each grown in 5:1 row ratio produced a bonus yield of mustard (424 and 324 kg/ha, respectively) without significant reduction in lentil yield (1273 and 1278 kg/ha, respectively) as compared to sole lentil (1453 kg/ha). Consequently both the systems had lentil equivalent yield 1713 and 1614 kg/ha, respectively because less competition and better compatibility leading to land equivalent ratio of of 1.27 and 1.18 and relative crowding coefficient of 4.52 and 3.08, respectively. However, Intercropping of 100 lentil 25 2 mustard grown in S:1 row ratio had significant ly higher energy use efficiency (6.12) through biomass with minimum specific energy requirement (4540 H3/tone) and maximum net return (Rs 18067/ha) and monetary advan tage (Rs 4771/ha).