Intercropping in castor (Ricinus communis) under dryland condition in Rajasthan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v38i2.3906Keywords:
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted during 1987-88 to 199C-91 on silty-loam soil to select a suitable rainy-season crop for intercropping with castor (Ricinus commu~~is L.). The highest mean castor- equivalent seed yield (25.16 qha), land-equivalent ratio (1.43). net return (Rs 12,995ha) and monetary advantage (Rs 39.07ha) were obtained by intercropping 2 rows of greengram (Phareolus rudiafus L.) in between the castor crop sown at 1 m row spacing. This was followed by castor + blackgram (P. mungo L.) (2 rows) and castor + groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) (2 rows).References
Intercropping in castor (Ricinus communis) under dryland condition in Rajasthan
I. N. GUPTA AND S. S. RATHORE
Agriculture Research Station, Rajasthan Agriculture University,. Bhilwara 311 001
Received: February 1992
A field experiment was conducted during 1987-88 to 199C-91 on silty-loam soil to select a suitable rainy-season crop for intercropping with castor (Ricinus commu~~is
L.). The highest mean castor-equivalent seed yield (25.16 qha), land-equivalent ratio (1.43). net return (Rs12,995ha) and monetary advantage (Rs39.07ha) were obtained by intercropping 2 rows of greengram (Phareolus rudiafus L.) in between the castor crop sown at 1 m row spacing. This was followed by castor + blackgram (P. mungo L.) (2 rows) and castor + groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) (2 rows).
Castor (Ricinus communis L.) is a remu- nerative crop under adverse climatic conditions, as it utilized the moisture from deeper layers. Being a long-duration, widely-spaced crop with comparatively thin plant population in comparison with other field crops, it offers a great scope for using its inter-space by growing short-duration crop and thereby helps harvest the potential productivity (Singh and Singh, 1988). Inter- cropping of short-duration crop like green- gram (Phaseolus radiatus L.), blackgram (P. mungo L.) and clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taubert] with castor is. remunerative (Singh and Singh, 1988) for dryland conditions. The present investiga- tion was therefore undertaken to select the best rainy-season crops for intercropping with castor for increasing net returns and land-equivalent ratio.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The field experiment was conducted during the rainy seasons of 1987-88 to 1990-91 on silty-loam soil under dryland conditions at Arjia-Bhilwara. The experi- ment consisted of 13 treatments, viz. sole crops of castor, greengram, blackgram, soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], sesame (Sesamum indicum L.), maize (2a mays L.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.), and intercropping of castor with all these crops.
The treatments of sole groundnut and castor + groundnut were not included during the fust year. Randomized block design was followed with 4 replications. The gross plot size was 6 m x 5 m and net plot size varied in different treatments due to variation in number of rows of component crops harvested.
Castor variety 'Aruna', greengram 'K 851', blackgram 'T 9', soybean 'Punjab 1'' sesame 'C 50', maize 'Ageti 76' or 'Novjot' and groundnut 'JL 24' were used. Castor was sown at 1m row spacing in sole as well as in intercropping treatments. Two rows of greengram or blackgram or soybean or sesame or groundnut and 1 row of maize
June 1993 CASTOR-BASED INTERCROPPINGS IN DRYLANDS
Table 1. Weekly meteorological data during cropgrowth period
Standasd Rainfall
week 1988-1989-
2.5 68.2 26 116.1 69.0 27 13.0
61.5 2.4 29 63.2 69.6 30 60.0 19.9 31 32.8 1.5 32 17.6 142.2 33 142.4 34 84.2 138.4 35 212.2 36 37 38 39 22.8 7.0 40 54.8 4 1 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 5 1 52
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 '1 2 13
Evaporation (mm)
- 1987- 1988- 1989- 1990-
1 88 89 90 9 1
GUPTA AND RATHORE [Vol. 38, No.2
were intercropped between 2 rows of castor in intercropping treatments. Sole crops of greengram, blackgram, soybean, sesame and groundnut were sown at 30 cm-row spacing, whereas the sole maize was sown at 60 cm- row spacing using recommended seed rates of different crops. Plant-to-plant spacing of 50 cm in castor and 25 cm in maize was maintained by thinning. Fertilizer application through diammonii phosphate and urea to different crops and other agronomic practices were done as per recommendation.
Seed yields of component crops which were recorded from net plots. The seed yield of different crops thus obtained werc also converted into castor-equivalent seed yields, considering the prevailing prices of produce during the corresponding years. The mean data on sole groundnut and castor + groundnut treatments were computed from the data of 3 years, as these treatments were not included during 1987--88. Other treatment means are based on 4-year data. Land-equivalent ratio was computed. The net returns were computed from the mean yield data, prevailing prices of produce and cost of cultivation during concluding year. Monetary advantages were calculated, considering the data on mean land-equivalent ratio and net return.
Bhilwara is characterized by extremes of temperatures both in summer and winter. In summer maximum temperature reaches as high as 46OC and in winter the minimum temperature drops down as low as OC, Average annual rainfall of the area is about 700 mm, more than 90% of which is received during the rainy season.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Large variations in the seed yield of cistor were observed during different years.
During 1987-88 and 1989-90 the castor yield was low. It was due to low rainfall coupled with early withdrawal of monsoon during 1987-88, and due to heavy rains and waterlogging during 1989--89. During 1988-89 and 1990-91, the distribution of rainfall was normal and well distributed.
The highest mean castor-seed yield
(16.71 qha) was in sole crop of castor. Inter- cropping of different crops reduced the castor-seed yield. The maximum reduction (46.26%) in castor yield was recorded when it was intercropped with maize. Conversely, the minimum reduction in castor-seed yield was recorded when it was intercropped with blackgram (9.21%), followed by groundnut (9.6%). soybean (21 %) and greengram (22%).
Castor + greengram, castor + blackgram and castor + groundnut intercropping increased the castor-equivalent-seed yield compared with castor-equivalent yields of all sole cr~ps (Table 2). The highest castor- equivalent-seed yield of 25.16 qha was recorded in castor + greengram intercropping, followed by castor + groundnut and castor + blackgram. The increase of 0.45 qlha in castor-equivalent- seed yield was accrued from castor + green-gram intercropping compared with sole castor.
Land-equivalent ratio
Intercropping of all the crops increased the land-equivalent ratio compared with sole crops. The highest land-equivalent ratio was recorded in the castor + greengram intercropping, followed by castor + blackgram and castor + groundnut.
Similar to the castor-equivalent-seed yield and land-equivalent ratio, the highest mean net returns were recorded in castor + greengram intercropping (Table 2). The
Table 2. yield of component crops, castor-equivalent yield, land-equivalent ratio, net return and monetary advantage in castor-based intercropping 2 , systems '. -
w System Seed yield (qha) Castor-LER Net return Monetary 8 @ha) advatage
-88 1988-89 1989-90 1990-91
seed yield (qha) @-ha)
Sole castor
Sole greengram
Sole blackgram
Sole soybeen
Sole sesame
Sole maize
Sole groundnut
Castor +greengram Castor +blackgram
Castor +soybean
Castor +sesame
Castor +maize
Castor +groundnut
Data in parentheses represent intercrop
