Abstract
A field study was scheduled to estimate the impact of intercropping of pearl millet with cowpea on forage yield and quality at Agronomy Research Farm, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. It was done in kharif season 2016. Randomized complete block design was used to conduct this experiment. It has three replications. The size of net plot is 3.6 m × 6 m. It comprised of five treatments (T1 = one row of millet alternating with one row of cowpea (1M:1C), T2 = two rows of millet alternating with one row of cowpea (2M:1C), T3 = one row of millet alternating with two rows of cowpea (1M:2C), T4 = sole millet, T5 = sole cowpea). We found that intercropping significantly effected the yield and quality of forage. Intercropping system had significant effects on nutritive value of forage crop. Within various treatments of intercropping, it is evident that treatment T2 (two rows of millet alternating with one row of cowpea) gives maximum total dry matter yield (9.68 t ha-1). It was then tracked by treatment T1 (one row of millet alternating with one row of cowpea) and treatment T3 (one row of millet alternating with two rows of cowpea) producing dry matter yield (9.07 t ha-1 and 8.33 t ha-1, respectively). Based on high grain and suitable environmental condition, intercrop productivity compared to sole crop could be selected for improving the productivity of millet/cowpea mixture in the Punjab.
Highlights
We found that intercropping significantly effected the yield and quality of forage
Within various treatments of intercropping, it is evident that treatment T2 gives maximum total dry matter yield (9.68 t ha−1)
It was tracked by treatment T1 and treatment T3 producing dry matter yield (9.07 t ha−1 and 8.33 t ha−1, respectively)
Summary
Dry matter yield (t ha−1) of mixed forage (pearl millet + cowpea) The treatments where intercropping was done, higher number of plants were produced in treatment T2 where two rows of millet were sown with one row of cowpea. Among treatments of intercropping treatment T2 (two rows of pearl millet alternating with one row of cowpea) plant gave maximum height (246.33 cm).
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