Response of Cotton and Soybean Intercropping System to Integrated Nutrient Management

Aims: Field experiment was conducted to study the integrated nutrient management on yield, all yield components and resource use efficiency of cotton and soybean intercropping system.

Study Design: Randomized complete block design with three replications and twenty treatments.

Place and Duration of Study: Plot number ‘101’ of ‘D’ block, All India Coordinated Research Project, Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka (India) during June 2016.

Methodology: As per the treatments, organic manure (FYM) and green leaf manures (gliricidia and pongamia) were applied 15 days before sowing of the crop. Vermicompost was applied on the spot to soil before dibbling of seeds in cotton and soybean intercropping system in 1:2 row proportions, soybean introduced as intercrop in cotton with row spacing of cotton 120 cm and soybean 30 cm.

Results: Results revealed that all the yield components like number of bolls per plant, boll weight, seed cotton yield and cotton stalk yield in cotton and number of pods per plant, seed weight per plant, seed yield and haulm yield were higher under sole crop. Application of 150 and 125% RDF for cotton and soybean intercropping system found higher yield and yield components of cotton and soybean. However, the land equivalent ratio (LER), area time equivalent ratio (ATER) and cotton equivalent yield (CEY) were higher in intercropping system than sole crops.

Conclusion: Application of 125% RDF for both crops was found to be agronomically feasible, economically viable, environment friendly and in sustainable approach. In addition to this it provides insurance against inter-climatic changes.