RA 00015.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

Table 52. Effects of plant population on grain yields and Land Equivalent Ratios (LER) in
maize pigeonpea intercropping on Vertisol at ICRISAT Center, 1976-1977.
Total plant population
3/m 2 6/m 2 9/m2
Yield LER a Yield LER a Yield LER a
(kg/ha) (kg/ha) (kg/ha)
Sole maize 2 769 - 3 398 (1.0) 3 331 -
Sole pigeonpea 988 - 1035 (1.0) 954 -
Intercropping b
Maize 1637 .48 2205 .65 2400 .71
Pigeonpea 780 .75 672 .65 768 .74
Total Land Equivalent Ratio (LER)
L.S.D. (0.05) between Total LER = 0.16
1.23
a LER calculated from optimum sole crop yields (i.e., 6 plants/m 2 ).
b Mean of three row arrangements (See Table 53).
1.30
1.45
Table 53. Effect of different row arrangements on pigeonpea when intercropped with maize on Vertisols at
ICRISAT Center, 1976-1977.
Pigeonpea Pods Pigeonpea
total dry per grain Harvest
matter plant yield Index
(kg/ha) (no/plant) (kg/ha) (%)
Sole pigeonpea 5 750 73.8 991 17.2
1 row pigeonpea/ 3 560 128.0 889 25.0
1 row maize
1 row pigeonpea/ 2820 131.3 785 27.9
2 rows maize
1 row pigeonpea/ 1800 162.4 545 30.4
3 rows maize
L.S.D. (0.05) 600 19.8 141 3.5
Safflower was the more competitive crop and it
tended to reduce chickpea yield. But, except at
very low populations, safflower was little affected
by changes either in its own population or in that
of chickpea. Thus the best intercropping combinations
were those which maximized chickpea
yield. These were moderately low safflower populations
(to minimize safflower competition)
combined with high chickpea populations (to
maximize chickpea population response) (Fig
73). These combinations gave substantial yield
advantages in alternate-row intercropping but
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