Planting pattern of two pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) cultivars when intercropped with groundnut (Arachis hypogaea)

Abstract

SUMMARYField experiments were conducted during the two monsoon seasons of 1985 and 1986 at Kharagpur, West Bengal, to investigate the effect of pigeonpea cultivars and their planting pattern on the performance of a groundnut–pigeonpea intercrop. In intercropping the crops were also sown at 100% population of their sole crops. Groundnut plant growth and development was affected by intercropping with pigeonpea and the decline in pod yield ranged from 7 to 50% of the sole crop yield. The compact, short-statured and short duration pigeonpea cultivar, ICPL87, intercepted only 50% of the incoming solar radiation as against the 70% intercepted by LRG30 at the peak vegetative stage. The significantly higher groundnut yield (48%) obtained from the intercrop with the former pigeonpea cultivar as compared to the latter justifies the belief that the performance of the groundnut was light-related. This was further confirmed when the light interception by pigeonpea was reduced by increasing the row spacing from 90 to 150 cm and there was a consequent increase in groundnut yield. The cultivar and row arrangement of pigeonpea that allowed equal utilization of light by both crops gave increased productivity.