Ahmad, S.Kujur, Mrs. Sunita2017-06-212017-06-212009http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810022324BIOLOGICAL POTENTIAL AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF PIGEONPEA (Cajanus cajan L.) IN ASSOCIATION WITH FINGERMILLET (Eleusine coracana L.) CULTIVARSThe information on intercropping of potential pigeonpea pulse crop with new cultivars of fingermillet is very scanty. Hence in a process to give a quantum boost to total productivity of monsoonal rainfed upland crop, the present experiment was planned to assess the biological potential and economical viability of pigeonpea as base crop in association with fingermillet cultivars as intercrop for agro-climatic zone of Eastern Plateau region of the country. The field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years at Birsa Agricultural University, Farm, Ranchi during Kharif (rainy) season of 2005 and 2006 on a representative sandy loam rainfed upland (belonging to the red–yellow-light-grey catenary soil association group) representing major soil group of Jharkhand, receiving about 1350 mm of annual rainfall, 85 per cent is received between mid June to mid September. The main objective was to select suitable and sustainable intercropping system of pigeonpea in association with compatible new cultivars of fingermillet in place of dominant mono-cropping system. Under this investigation, pigeonpea (cv.BR-65) was taken as base crop and three cultivars of fingermillet (short duration cv. Birsa marua - 1, medium duration cv. HR-374 and long duration cv. PR-202) in sole as well as in intercrop were taken. The experiment was conducted in Randomised Block Design with three replications and sixteen treatment combinations consisting pigeonpea and three cultivars of fingermillet in sole cropping and four intercropping treatments of pigeonpea + fingermillet under 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 row ratios with short, medium and long duration cultivars of fingermillet. ii The important findings of the experiment are: From the two consecutive years of experimentation, growth, yield attributes and yield of component crops in intercropping system were reduced as compared to their sole cropping. In intercropping, association of pigeonpea + fingermillet (SD) 1:1 row proportion performed better in producing higher pigeonpea equivalent yield (13.13 qha-1) which was followed by pigeonpea + fingermillet (MD) 1:1 row proportion. Association of pigeonpea either with short duration or medium duration fingermillet having 46 per cent (LER = 1.46) and 42 per cent (LER = 1.42) land advantage was biologically more suitable systems with their better mutual co-hesiveness. Maximum reduction in pigeonpea equivalent yield was recoded under pigeonpea + fingermillet 1:4 row ratio due to higher plant density of fingermillet. Data on relative crowding co-efficient (RCC) revealed that in intercropping system short duration fingermillet cultivar performed better than medium and long duration ones. Competitive ratio (CR) was recorded minimum under pigeonpea + fingermillet 1:1 row proportion with short, medium and long duration cultivars of fingermillet. Association of short duration fingermillet with pigeonpea under 1:1 row proportion also accounted for the maximum net returns (Rs. 15,090.5 ha-1) and benefit: cost ratio (2.31). It has fairly good monetary advantage of Rs. 6,203.8 ha-1 and closely followed by pigeonpea + fingermillet (MD) 1:1 row proportion. However, maximum reduction in net returns and benefit: cost ratio was found under pigeonpea + fingermillet in 1:4 row proportion. Performance of growth and yield attributes of pigeonpea and fingermillet was better in pigeonpea + fingermillet 1:1 row ratio due to iii higher availability of light and less competition between two component crops for space and nutrients. Higher available soil moisture under alternate row intercropping system resulted in higher yield of both the component crops. However, maximum reduction in soil moisture under 1:4 row ratio resulted in lower yield due to more competition for moisture at higher plant density and therefore was not found suitable crop combination in intercropping system. The uptake of three major plant nutrients (NPK) was higher in sole cropping as compared to their uptake in individual component crop in intercropping system. Total uptake of nitrogen (80.55 kg ha-1) was higher under pigeonpea + fingermillet (MD) 1:1 row proportion whereas that of phosphorus (14.74 kg ha-1) and potassium (108.05 kg ha-1) was higher under sole crop of long duration fingermillet. The available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of soil (195.13, 12.68 and 146.78 kg ha-1 , respectively) were higher under sole stand of pigeonpea as compared to sole fingermillet and intercropping combinations. Association of pigeonpea with short duration fingermillet in 1:1 row proportion in intercropping system maintained the soil fertility as compared to sole stand of fingermillet. Higher nutrient content in soil under pigeonpea with short duration fingermillet (1:1) appeared to be more suitable for maintaining soil health. Finally, from the above observations, it may be concluded that association of pigeonpea with short and medium duration fingermillet in 1:1 row proportion was biologically sustainable and economically viable system with a better economic returns and also maintained the fertility status of soil under rainfed upland condition.en-USnullThesis