Effect of Maize High Density Planting on Cluster Bean Performance under Maize-cluster Bean Cropping Sequence

Abstract

Background: Cluster bean was cultivated as a catch crop without external fertilization, solely to recharge the soil fertility and to harvest the residual nutrient after maize crop; clusterbean had been included as a succeeding crop. Doubling the fertilizer for maize would leave more residues. Even though maize is an exhaustive crop, since the nutrient uptake was need based, the excess fertilizers were effectively utilized by cluster bean. Methods: A field research was carried out at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore under irrigated conditions. Experimental trials were adopted to estimate the effect of high density with nutrient management practices on maize which influences the performance of succeeding cluster bean under maize-cluster bean cropping sequence during Rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19 by using cultivar Pusa Naubahar. No separate treatments were adapted to cluster bean crop. Result: The results of cluster bean sown after the high density of 1,33,333 plants ha-1 maize with nutrient level of 200 per cent RDF produced taller plants, higher drymatter production (636 and 607 kg/ha), increased yield attributes, higher yield (6.58 and 6.81 t/ha) and better economics (B:C ratio -1.87 and 1.94) in both the seasons. Post-harvest available nutrient status revealed that the higher population by closer spacing with increased fertilizer levels (T7) maintained its superiority during both the years. Moreover, this proved to be the most viable practice for production and residual nutrient uptake, by including pulse (cluster bean) as succeeding crop and soil health was effectively maintained by fixing atmospheric nitrogen by cluster bean.