Performance of pearl millet‐based intercropping systems under drought conditions

Abstract

Performance of sole, mixed, row, and strip cropping systems was assessed under drought conditions. The mean index of moisture adequacy (I MA ) for the initial two weeks of crop growth was 0.62 and 0.69 in two seasons, which indicated enough moisture during the seedling stage. The crops faced mild drought (mean I MA = 0.27 and 0.33) during vegetative phases and severe drought (mean I MA = 0.07) during reproductive phases in both seasons. Mixed cropping and row intercropping produced lesser yields than the sole cropping, while strip cropping gave better yields and more risk coverage over sole cropping. A pearl millet‐clusterbean mixture showed superiority over a mixture of pearl millet with green gram or cowpea. Lower yields under row intercropping systems as compared with the sole cropping in drought years was attributed to higher populations in row intercropping. In strip cropping (4:4 rows), both the components produced grain, thereby showing superiority over mixtures and row intercropping. The border ro...