RA 00048.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

Willey
Millet/groundnut Intercropping at 1 millet: 3
groundnut row arrangement has been found to
give about 50% of sole millet yield and 75% sole
groundnut yield; this produces an intercropping
advantage of 25%. The yield proportion however,
can vary depending on the relative proportion
of the component crops. Millet has a wide
yield-population plateau and as such its yield may
not be affected by small changes in plant
population. But gaps in groundnut definitely
affects its performance and can reduce the
overall intercropping advantage.
Singh
I wish to make a comment on biological nitrogen
fixation that Dr. Clegg has referred to in his
presentation. The tests conducted at several
locations in the All India Coordinated Sorghum
Improvement Project indicate that Azospirillum
is more efficient than Azotobacter in fixing
nitrogen. In the rainy season there was fixation
of nitrogen ranging from 20 to 40 kg N/ha.
However, this effect was not observed in the
postrainy season probably due to the lack of
sufficient moisture.
Another kind of biological nitrogen fixation is
through legumes in intercropping. At the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, we
observed that fodder cowpea would benefit
sorghum in intercropping in the same season
and also leave residual benefit to the following
wheat crop. The residual benefit from peanut or
intercropped cowpea was equivalent to 40 kg
N/ha. However, no such effects were observed
with soybean.
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