Evolution A Alternate Pathway of Maize+Mashbean Intercropping System to Planting Geometry and Nutrient Management in Alluvial Plain Zone of India

Intercropping, the agricultural practice of cultivating two or more crops in the same space at the same time is an old and commonly used cropping practice which aims to match efficiently crop demands to the available growth resources and labor. The most common function of intercropping is the production of greater yield on a given piece of land by making more efficient use of the available growth resources using a mixture of crops of different rooting ability, canopy structure, height, spreading and nutrient requirements based on the complementary utilization of growth resources by the component crops. Moreover, intercropping improves soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation with the use of legumes, than sole cropping. Growth parameters Viz., plant height, plant spread and dry matter accumulation per plant, yield attributes (such as, cob length, number of cobs per plant, number of grains/cob and grain yield/plant,), yields Viz., grain, stover and biological per hectare and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in maize were significantly superior in maize+mashbean intercropping systems than their sole cropping. Likewise, paired planting geometry and fertility level of 100% NPK+Zn+PSB resulted into higher values of above mentioned parameters than their respective counterparts. In mashbean, all the growth parameters, yield attributes, yields and nitrogen uptake were statistically superior under normal planting (50 cm) as compared to 30/70 cm paired planting geometry. Maize+mashbean intercropping also produces highest maize grain equivalent yield and land equivalent ratio. Maize+mashbean intercropping with recommended NPK+Zn+PSB to maize also gave highest gross and net returns under paired planting. Besides, this combination also improves the soil nutrient status. Intercropping is in vogue in irrigated areas of northern India, but under alluvial area very little work has been done so far. Thus, present study was planned to evaluate the agronomic implications and economic feasibility of maize+mashbean intercropping system under the planting geometry and different fertility levels in semi arid conditions of alluvial plain zone of India.