Effect of row ratio and fertility levels on chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and linseed (Linum usitatissimum) intercropping system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2005-07 at Kota, Rajasthan to study the effect of intercrop row ratio and fertility levels on chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) and linseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.) intercropping system. The experiment was laid out in 4 times replicated split plot design, where main-plots received 4 cropping systems, viz. sole chickpea, sole linseed, chickpea + linseed (4:2) and chickpea + linseed (5:1) and sub-plots got 3 fertility lev- els for chickpea and linseed, viz. 100 % recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) (N P and N P ), 75% RDF 20 17.2 30 6.5 (N P and N P ) and 50% RDF (N P and N P ) applied on area basis. Seed and biological yields of both 15 12.9 22.5 4.8 10 8.6 15 3.2 chickpea and linseed were higher in sole cropping than in intercropping systems. However, the system productiv- ity (chickpea equivalent yield), total LER, net returns and B:C ratio of chickpea+linseed intercropping under both the row arrangements (5:1 and 4:2) were at par with sole chickpea and significantly higher over sole linseed. The highest N and P uptake was recorded under sole chickpea. Reduction in fertilizer dose by 25 and 50% of RDF de- creased the seed yield of chickpea by 6.6 and 16.8% during 2005-06 and by 10.1 and 23% during 2006-07, re- spectively, while reduction in linseed yield was observed only at 50% RDF. Net returns and B:C ratio decreased significantly with the decreasing fertilizer doses. Total LER and LER of component crops recorded improvement with the reduction in fertility level. Competition functions viz. relative crowding coefficient, competition ratio and aggressivity indicated that linseed was dominant over chickpea. Intercropping systems were found more advanta- geous than sole cropping under reduced fertilizer application.