Year: 2023 | Month: December | Volume 10 | Issue 4
Influence of Maize-Cowpea Intercropping System on Growth, Productivity and Competitive Ability of Crops Cultivated Under South Odisha Conditions
Ambala Harati
Sagar Maitra
Tanmoy Shankar
Dinkar J. Gaikwad and Masina Sairam
DOI:10.30954/2394-8159.04.2023.8
Abstract:
Being a widely row-spaced crop, maize (Zea mays L.) offers ample scope for adoption of intercropping systems with other crops. In maize-based intercropping system, legumes are preferred worldwide. Among different legumes, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) is an important crop that is fit to kharif and other seasons. Based on the above facts, the present study was conducted during kharif season of 2019 in P.G. Research Farm of M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology Management, Odisha. The treatments were laid out in randomized block design with four replications. The experiment consists of six treatments, namely, maize + cowpea (1:1), maize + cowpea (2:1), maize + cowpea (1:2), maize + cowpea (3:3), sole maize and sole cowpea which
were replicated for four times. The results of the study revealed that the plant height and number of leaves of both crops were not influenced significantly; however, there was significant difference among the treatments in dry matter accumulation per unit area. Yield attributes of maize and cowpea did not show any significant difference among the intercropping treatments. The maximum grain yield, stover yield and biological yield of maize and cowpea were recorded in sole maize and sole cowpea respectively. Among various competition functions, the combined LER, the treatment maize + cowpea (1:1) registered the greater value of 1.18. In all the intercropping treatments, the ATER was lesser than unity, indicating that the intercropping systems were not advantageous in utilizing area and time. Intercropping maize + cowpea (1:1) resulted in monetary advantage of Rs.7299 ha-1.The study concludes that sole maize showed its superiority over all mixed stands of maize + cowpea under the replacement series of the intercropping system because of decreased plant population in the mixed stan
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