Effect of Intercropping Farming and Vermicompost System on the Nutritional Quality and Yield of Rice and Pigeonpea

Abstract

The present study explains the application of vermicompost during the cultivation of rice and pigeon pea in relay intercropping farming. This study examined vermicompost's effect on increasing yield and nutrient quality of rice and pigeon pea. In North India, Kharif crops were grown for three seasons from 2019 to 2021 in the intercropping farming system. The main crop (rice) was sown with pigeon peas (legumes) in July 2019 in rows and there were a total of 36 rows each of 6 m, of which nine rows were for rice having a distance of 70 cm between each row and pigeon peas each with a distance of 50 cm between each row and the other nine were for one row of rice and another of pigeon peas having a distance of 50 cm among them. Each type of crop was treated with control as urea and treated with vermicompost for analysis of results. The result of the study, exhibited significant increase in macro elements K & P in intercropping along with vermicompost (4320 mg/kg & 1100 mg/kg) as compared to control (4200 mg/kg& 910 mg/kg) as well as microelements Zn & Fe in treated (41.4 mg/kg & 65.6 mg/kg) as compared to control (38.2 mg/kg& 60.2 mg/kg) were found higher in vermicompost treated intercropping. Also, yield (18.01 kg/ha) and HI (Harvest Index) (0.82) were found more in intercropping treated with vermicompost as compared to conventional one treated with urea (14.23 kg/ha) and (0.62). Hence, vermicompost along with intercropping was found to be effective in increasing the yield and nutritional value of crops.