Feasibility of rabi maize (Zea mays L.) + chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) intercropping system under middle Gujarat condition Patil YG1,*, Mevada KD2, Vaghela GM3, Bedis MR4 1Junior Research Assistant Agricultural Technical School, Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Jalgaon-425 201 (Maharashtra), India 2Professor and Head (Agronomy) & I/c. Director of Research & Dean, Gujarat Organic Agricultural University, Anand-388 001 (Gujarat), India 3SRA, Gujarat Organic Agricultural University, Anand-388 001 (Gujarat), India 4Principal and Associate Professor Agricultural Technical School, Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Jalgaon-425 201 (Maharashtra), India *YG Patil (Corresponding author) ygpatil79@gmail.com
Online Published on 18 March, 2023. Abstract A field experiment to find out the feasibility of rabi maize (Zea mays L.) + chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) intercropping system under middle Gujarat condition was carried out at College Agronomy Farm, Anand Agricultural University, Anand (Gujarat) during rabi and summer season of 2019-20 and 2020-21 on loamy sand soils found low in organic carbon and available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and potassium with slightly alkaline in reaction. The treatment comprised of six different intercropping treatments viz., T1: Sole maize, T2: Sole chickpea, T3: maize + chickpea 1:1 (Additive series), T4: maize + chickpea 1:1 (Replacement series), T5: maize + chickpea 2:1 (Paired row) and T6: maize + chickpea 2:2 (Paired row) were assigned under randomized block design with 4 replications. Results manifested significant influence of different intercropping systems on growth and yield attributes of maize viz., dry matter accumulation at harvest, cob girth, cob length, number of grains cob-1, grain yield and stover yield of maize, maize equivalent yield, land equivalent ratio under treatment maize + chickpea intercropping system (1:1 Additive series) and significantly the higher plant height at harvest observed under sole maize plant treatment. Sole chickpea recorded significantly the higher plant height at 60 DAS and at harvest, higher plant dry matter accumulation at 60 DAS and at harvest, highest number of nodules plant-1, number of branches plant-1, number of pods plant-1, seed and haulm yield. As far as MEY, LER and economics were concerned, treatment with maize + chickpea 1:1 (Additive series) produced highest MEY, covered highest LER and fetched the highest net realization and BCR value as compared to remaining intercropping treatments. Top Keywords Additive series, Chickpea, Intercropping system, LER, Maize equivalent yield, Net return Paired planting, Rabi maize, Replacement series. Top |