Light use efficiency, productivity and profitability of maize and soybean intercropping as influenced by planting geometry and row proportion

摘要

A field experiment was conducted to study the light use efficiency, productivity and profitability of maize and soybean as influenced by planting geometry and row proportion during Kharif 2010-11 at the Main Agriculture Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad. The experiment consisted of seven treatments involving three row spacings (60,75 and 90 cm) with an intra row spacing of 20 cm in Maize+Soybean intercropping system and sole cropping of maize and soybean. Among crop and cropping systems, maize intercropped with soybean in 2:6 paired row (45/180 cm) recorded the least LTR and the highest light absorption. Sole maize recorded significantly higher yield (70.92 q ha-1) than intercropped maize under varying geometry and row proportion. However, it was on par with maize intercropped with soybean in 1:1 row proportion with 60 x 20 cm (70.03 q ha-1). The yield of sole soybean was significantly superior (21.80 q ha-1) over other intercropped treatments. Highest net return (` 57,926 ha-1) and B:C ratio (3.57) were obtained with maize intercropped with soybean in 2:6 paired row. Similarly, higher LER (1.54), ATER (1.32) and maize equivalent yield (94.70 q ha-1) were also noticed with Maize+Soybean intercropping in 2:6 paired row than other treatments.