Abstract
Most of the developing & densely populated countries struggle with the major challenge of meeting food & nutritional requirements for the exponentially rising population. Apart from feeding huge population, our country also faces the issue of land fragmentation which limits the scope of farm automation & mechanization that plays a key role in cost reduction, optimization of input resources and obtaining higher yields. Therefore, to improve the land use efficiency and obtain higher returns, we are left with the option to intensify crop cultivation during a given cropping season. Chickpea and Mustard are the major rabi season crops which differ in their growth habits and can be grown synergistically with each other in intercropping system. Cultivation of these energy rich crops in rainfed areas is one of the major constraints in achieving their yield potential. Numerous researchers cover the theory and mechanisms of yield stability in intercropping. Willey (1979a) clearly and evidently proposed that intercropping gives higher yields in a given season and greater stability of yields in different seasons compared with sole cropping. However, a little work has been done on chickpea+mustard intercropping system and information related to their comparative performance and sustainability along with beneficial effect of varying levels of inorganic and organic nutrients is lacking, which might be helpful in adopting this intercropping system under resource constraint areas. Keeping the foregoing facts, an investigation was undertaken on “Population Compatibility and Nutrient Management Strategies in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) +Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) Intercropping Systems” at “Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology”, Meerut (U.P.) during rabi season 2017-18, to optimize planting geometry and devise effective nutrient management strategies. The proposed investigation aims at realizing self-sufficiency in pulses and oilseed production through bridging-up technological gaps. The experimental soil was sandy loam in texture with low available nitrogen (219.3 kg ha-1), medium in available phosphorus (16.9 kg ha-1) & potassium (245.3 kg ha-1). Twenty treatments consisting of combinations of 04 intercropping systems viz., Chickpea+mustard in 3:1 and 4:1 row ratio and both in additive and replacement series and 05 nutrient management options viz., recommended dose (RD) to chickpea and mustard both (N1), N1 + biofertilizers (N2), N2 +FYM (N3), N1 but mustard with 150% RD (N4) and N4 with biofertilizers (N5) along with sole stand of component crops tested in RBD with 3 replications. Recommended doses were 100 kg DAP +20kg S ha-1 for chickpea and 120 kg N +40 kg P2O5+20 kg S for mustard. Nutrient application to mustard was made as per plant population against sole cropping. Chickpea seeds were inoculated with Rhizobium and mustard with Azotobacter with soil application PSB. The results revealed that chickpea performed individually better in sole stands than intercropping systems. With an exception to plant height, all other growth parameters of chickpea viz., number of branches plant-1, dry matter accumulation, number of nodules plant-1, dry weight of nodules, grain & straw yield were maximum in sole chickpea cropping. A reverse trend was however noted in mustard except for plant height. Nutrient management options had significant effect on performance of component crops being best in chickpea with incorporation of FYM + RDF to component crops along with chickpea inoculation with Rhizobium & mustard inoculation with Azotobacter + soil application of Phosphorous solubilising bacteria.
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