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could be grown on deep Vertisols, though traditional<br />
practice in India is to grow a postrainy<br />
season crop only. These investigations were<br />
continued by growing six postrainy season crops<br />
(i) after fallow and (ii) after a crop of maize<br />
grown on 75-cm ridges. There were three dates of<br />
sowing equivalent to 24, 12, and 0 days before<br />
maize grain harvest. At the two earlier dates, the<br />
treatments following maize were (i) relay sown<br />
into the full maize crop and (ii) relay sown after<br />
removal of alternate maize rows for greencobs;<br />
the last sowing date was essentially a sequential<br />
sowing after maize. (Due to abnormal drought<br />
conditions in September, a "come-up" irrigation<br />
was applied after the first planting.) These treatments<br />
also provided three "shade" comparisons:<br />
(i) no shade (after fallow), (ii) half shade (after<br />
harvest of greencobs), and (iii) full shade (under<br />
full maize crop).<br />
Germination at the second time of sowing was<br />
poor until rain fell just after the third sowing;<br />
therefore there was little difference in terms of<br />
performance between these dates. It can be seen<br />
(Table 56) that the growing of a rainy season<br />
maize crop had little or no effect on the yield of<br />
the postrainy season crops. The half-shade treatment<br />
obtained by the greencob harvest appeared<br />
to have a small beneficial effect on the yield of<br />
safflower, sunflower, and cowpea. Pigeonpea<br />
and sorghum benefitted from earlier sowing,<br />
whereas chickpea and safflower benefitted from<br />
late sowing.<br />
Monetary values of the different systems are<br />
summarized in Figure 74. For single cropping<br />
after fallow, the highest yield of the three sowing<br />
dates is taken. For sequential cropping after<br />
grain maize, the mean of the two latest sowing<br />
dates is taken because in practice they germinated<br />
at the same time. The "greencob" system<br />
gave the greatest returns because of the high<br />
10.5<br />
9.0<br />
Chickpea<br />
Safflower<br />
Cowpea<br />
7.5<br />
Sunflower<br />
6.0<br />
4.5<br />
Sorghum<br />
Pigeonpea<br />
Maize grain<br />
3.0<br />
1.5<br />
Maize grain<br />
Maize greencobs<br />
Maize grain<br />
Single postrainy Sequential planting Relay planting in Relay planting in<br />
season crop greencob-grain grain treatment<br />
treatment<br />
Figure 74. Monetary values of sequential and relay planting after maize.<br />
162
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