Resource-use maximisation through legume intercropping with maize in the eastern Himalayan region of India
V. K. Choudhary A B D , Anil Dixit B and Bhagirath S. Chauhan C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Research Complex for North Eastern Himalayan Region, Arunachal Pradesh Centre, Basar – 791 101, Arunachal Pradesh, India.
B ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur – 493 225, Chhattisgarh, India.
C The Centre for Plant Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Toowoomba, Qld 4350, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: ind_vc@rediffmail.com
Crop and Pasture Science 67(5) 508-519 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP15233
Submitted: 6 April 2015 Accepted: 4 November 2015 Published: 12 May 2016
Abstract
Intercropping provides opportunity to harness available resources. Thus, maize intercropped with soybean or peanut (groundnut) was tested with 1 : 1, 1 : 2, and 1 : 5 row proportions along with sole plantings of each crop to measure resource capture and resource-use efficiency. Results revealed that sole peanut had 60% higher maize-equivalent yield and 55% better production efficiency, followed by the 1 : 5 row proportion of maize–peanut, over sole maize. Intercropping increased land-use efficiency by 17–53% and land-equivalent coefficient by 0.21–0.56. The relative crowding coefficient was 39% higher with 1 : 2 maize–soybean, whereas the monetary advantage index was the highest (US$107) with the 1 : 5 maize–peanut. Nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) uptakes by maize were 42.9% and 38.2%, respectively, higher with 1 : 5 maize–soybean, whereas phosphorus (P) uptake was 64% higher with 1 : 5 maize–peanut. However, the least amounts of N, P and K were mined overall with 1 : 5 of maize–soybean. Soil moisture content was improved by 24% and solar radiation interception by 37.8% with soybean alone over maize alone, and these parameters increased with higher row proportions of soybean. The energy parameters also improved with the 1 : 5 row proportions of maize–soybean or peanut intercropping. This study provides a basis for efficient resource use by maize–soybean (or peanut) intercropping system.
Additional keywords: competition indices, energy, maize–legume intercropping, nutrient mining, productivity.
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