Thesis Abstract of AGS Students

Chhabi Lal Paudel (1995)

A field experiment of pigeon pea/maize intercropping was conducted at the Multiple Cropping Center experimental station. The soil was sandy loam (San Sai series) with moderately acidic pH (5.8). The soil organic matter content was low (0.81%) with a very low supply of N (0.040%). During the period of the experiment (March 1994-February 1995) the total rainfall was 1632 mm. The objective of the experiment was to find out the appropriate alley widths (pigeon pea/maize ratio) and effects of pruning of pigeon pea (PP) on the productivity of the intercropping system.

The experiment consisted of two factors arranged in a split plot design with two levels of cuttings (pruning and non-pruning) in the main plot and four levels of alley widths, i.e, sole PP, PP: maize (1:2), PP: maize (1:4) and PP: maize (1:6) in the sub plots. The replacement intercropping with

equidistance row planting of 75 cm was done. Total treatments were ten including the sole maize and broadcasting pigeon pea. The second season maize was planted immediately after harvesting of first maize crop in the first week of July and pigeon pea was pruned before planting of maize. The fertilizer applied was 80:40:20, N:P:K kg ha-1 for maize and 20:40:20, N:P:K kg ha-1 for pigeon pea. In the second season 25 kgN ha-1 was topdressed only in maize.

The performance of maize in intercropping was not affected in the first planting due to slow initial growth of pigeon pea. The maize yield in closer alleys i.e. less than 3 m distance was not productive and economical under established unpruned pigeon pea hedgerows. Delay in tasseling and silking of maize was also found under unpruned pigeon pea hedgerows.

The plant height and forage yield of intercropped pigeon pea at pruning (115 days) was significantly reduced, but the survival rate after pruning was higher than in sole pigeon pea. The bean yield and yield components of pigeon pea were not affected by intercropping and pruning, but

pruning reduced stalk dry matter. The highest bean yield of pigeon pea was found in 1:2 ratio. The soil fertility was increased in intercropping than sole maize, but the increase was less in pruning than in non-pruning of pigeon pea.

Pigeon pea/maize intercropping (1:2 ratio) under unpruned pigeon pea hedgerows gave the highest total land equivalent ratio (LER) of 1.6. All alley combinations gave higher LERs than sole systems showing the biological efficiency and economic benefit of the intercropping system with sustaining soil fertility. A higher total LER was found under non-pruning than pruning of pigeon pea.

The farmers' field survey was undertaken in Banke district in Nepal during November-December of 1994 with an objective of assessing the pigeon pea land use system and its potentials under farmers' circumstances. Pigeon pea area was increased due to unavailability of the fuelwood, declining maize productivity and higher price of beans.

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