Performance of intercropping legumes in fingermillet (Eleusine coracana) at varying fertility levels

Abstract

A field experiment conducted during the monsoon season of 1994 and 1995 showed that sole groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) higher dry matter yield, leaf area index and crop growth rate at early growth stages but sole groundnut, fingermillet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] and fingermillet groundnut intercropping recorded higher values of the above growth attributes at later stages. Sole fingermillet produced more earslm2 but fingermillet pigeonpea intercropping recorded more fingerslear than other cropping systems. Among the legumes, pigeonpea recorded greater number of pod?/plant, whereas greengram (Phaseolus radiatus L.) produced higher number of seedslpod and groundnut had the highest test weight. Sole groundnut produced the highest pod and chaff yields. Fingermillet groundnut, fingermillet pigeonpea and sole fingermillet also gave higher yield than other cropping systems. Application 60 kg N, 30 kg P,O, and 30 kg 6OIha recorded more dry matter yield, leaf area index and crop growth rate. It helped in increasing fingers1 ear, podslplant and seeds or kemelslpod over the low fertility levels zt .l resulted in higher yield of all the crops under sole and intercropping systems. Sole groundnut at high fertility level gave the highest yield.