Assessment of Intercropping Systems and Nitrogen Levels on Nutrient Balance and Yield of Crops Under Irrigated Condition in Western Zone of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

ABSTRACT An efficient inter cropping system needs to be identified for realizing the higher system productivity, profitability for the benefit of resource-poor farmers, especially in developing countries. Keeping this as motivation, field experiments were conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, during rabi season to assess the influence of intercropping systems and nitrogen levels on nutrient balance sheet and yield of component crops under irrigated condition for two years. The treatments in the main plot consisted of five intercropping systems viz. coriander, mustard, bengal gram, coriander + mustard, bengal gram + mustard, while subplot consisted of three different levels of nitrogen viz. 0 kg N ha−1 (control), 20 kg ha−1 and 40 kg N ha−1 under split plot design with three replications. Higher uptake of N, P and K with lower nutrient balance was observed with mustard while lower nutrient uptake and higher nutrient balance were recorded with coriander. Application of 40 kg N ha−1 registered higher post-harvest soil available nutrients over lower levels of N application. Higher yield in terms of mustard equivalent was observed with sole coriander (1402 kg ha−1). Among the intercropping systems, significantly higher mustard equivalent (1227 kg ha−1) was observed in coriander + mustard intercropping systems in 2:1 ratio than in bengal gram + mustard intercropping system. Hence, intercropping of coriander with mustard in 2:1 ratio is better for realizing higher system productivity and economic returns.