Yield performance and complementarity of rice (Oryza sativa) with greengram (Phaseolus radiatus), blackgram (Phaseolus mungo) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) under different rice-legume associations

Abstract

In a field investigation during the wet season of 1991 and 1992, the performance of rice (Oryza sativa L.) with associated legumes, viz. greengram (Phaseolus radiatus (L.) Millsp.], blackgram (Phaseolus mungo L.) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) was studied under different inter- and mixed cropping systems. In rice, the number of effective tillers/m2, number of filled grainstpanicle, 1,000-grain weight and grain yield increased when intercropped with greengram and blackgram and decreased when mixed cropping of rice + pigeonpea was practiced. In associated greengram, blackgram and pigeonpea, the total number of branchestplant, number of filled podsfplant, number of seeds/ pod, 1,000-seed weight and seed yield increased in different intercropping systems. The highest net returns and net returntrupee of investment were obtained from sole crop of pigeonpea. The relative crowding coefficient (RCC) and competitive ratio (CR) values were always greater than unity with all the intercropping systems. The land-equivalent ratio (LER) and monetary advantage (MA) were the highest with rice+greengram intercropping system at a higher level of fertility, whereas rice+pigeonpea intercropping system at a higher level of fertilityshowed the highest values of area-time equivalent ratio (ATER).