Abstract
Study on rice as a main crop and chickpea as a companion crop relay intercropping in an additive series experiment in rain fed lowland ecosystem of Fogera vertisols was conducted for two consecutive years to test the rice-chick pea relay intercropping planting method and to determine the optimum proportion for component crops in rice- chick pea relay intercropping on transplanted rice. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design with three replications. Five seed rates of chick pea relayed intercropped in between rows of transplanted rice and one sole rice were tested i.e. full recommended seed rate of chick pea relay intercropped in between rows of transplanted rice, two-third of the recommended seed rate of chick pea relay intercropped in between rows of transplanted rice, two-third of the recommended seed rate of chick pea relay intercropped in between alternate rows of transplanted rice, half of the recommended seed rate of chick pea relay intercropped in between rows of transplanted rice, half of the recommended seed rate of chick pea relay intercropped in between alternate rows of transplanted rice and the sole transplanted rice used as comparison. Rice yield and yield component data were statistically subjected to analysis of variance using SAS-JMP-5 software. All growth, yield and yield component of rice did not significantly affected by additive relay intercropping and seed proportion in rice-chickpea relay intercropping systems. However, the study conducted for two consecutive years at all test sits confirmed that chick pea after twenty to thirty days from the planting time was completely dried and unable to gave seed yield from rice-chickpea relay intercropping experiment. Hence, under current crop management practice of rice at Fogera vertisol areas, chickpea cannot replace the grass pea in rice-grass pea relay intercropping system (farmers practice); and relay intercropping of chickpea with rice is not economically important for farmers to increase the yield potential and land use efficiency. It needs intensive Agronomy research on rice-chickpea intercropping systems and breeding on both component crops.
Highlights
Relay cropping system refers to growing two or more crops simultaneously during part of the life cycle of each
This might be due to early planting of rice in relay intercropping system takes advantage in peak resource demands for nutrients, water, and sunlight for all treatments
The present study showed that all growth, yield and yield component of rice did not significantly affected by additive relay intercropping system and seed proportion in ricechickpea relay intercropping systems
Summary
Relay cropping system refers to growing two or more crops simultaneously during part of the life cycle of each. A monoculture is the agricultural practice of producing or growing a single crop or plant species over a wide area and for a large number of consecutive years. Farmers in Fogera plain use dry seed broadcast planting method for rice production [8]. It is the main crop that has been produced mainly in mono-cropping systems for many years in Fogera areas. Farmers in Fogera areas practiced traditional rice as a main crop-grass pea as a companion crop relay intercropping planting method to increase yield per unit area. Ricechick pea relay intercropping planting method is not practiced in rice producing areas of the country, it is essential to test this practice at farmers’ field. The objective of this experiment were to test the rice-chick pea relay intercropping planting method and to determine the optimum proportion for component crops in rice- chick pea relay intercropping on transplanted rice
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