Vol. 11, Issue 2 (2022)

The present investigation was carried out at during summer of 2019 and 2020 at College Farm, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat) find out the effect of row arrangements and nutrient levels on growth and yield of maize and cowpea intercropping system. The experiment was conducted with the objective to determine the appropriate row arrangement, nutrient levels and the best combination of row arrangement and nutrient levels for maize-cowpea intercropping system. The experiment was laid-out in factorial randomized block design keeping five row arrangements and three nutrient levels with three replications. Treatments comprised of five row arrangements viz., sole maize (A₁), sole cowpea (A₂), maize-cowpea (1:1) (A₃), maize-cowpea (1:2) (A₄) and maize-cowpea (2:1) and three nutrient levels viz., 75% RDF (F₁), 100% RDF (F₂) and 125% RDF (F₃). Recommended dose of fertilizer used for maize and cowpea were 120:60:40 and 20:40:00 N:P₂O₅:K₂O kg/ha respectively. Hybrid variety sugar 75 of maize and GC-6 of cowpea were taken as test crops during the investigation.

The results of the experiment showed that, growth parameters of maize viz., plant height of maize was significantly influenced by crop arrangement and the highest values were recorded by sole maize. In respect of number of functional leaves, leaf area index (LAI) recorded by 1:2 row arrangement found significantly higher over the sole maize, 1:1 and 2:1 row arrangement. Among the nutrient levels all growth parameters i.e., plant height, number of functional leaves, leaf area index (LAI) was found significantly higher under application of 125% RDF over 75% RDF application and which was found at par with 100% RDF. Significantly the higher growth and yield parameter of cowpea viz., plant height, number of functional leaves, leaf area index (LAI) of cowpea recorded by sole cropping over the rest of row arrangement.

In case of yield of maize, the higher values for green cob yield, straw yield and biological yield of maize were recorded under sole maize and among the nutrient levels application of 125% RDF application recorded the higher values for green cob yield, straw yield and biological yield. Similarly, the significantly higher seed yield, stover yield and biological yield was found under sole planting of cowpea and among the nutrient levels application of 125% RDF application recorded the higher values for seed yield, stover yield and biological yield. On the basis of maize equivalent yield, significantly higher maize equivalent yield observed under maize-cowpea 2:1 row arrangement with application of 100% RDF and which was found at par with the combination of 2:1 row arrangement with application of 125% RDF.