PERFORMANCE OF MAIZE MUNGBEAN INTERCROPPING GROWN UNDER DIFFERENT PLANTING GEOMETRY

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University farm to study the effect of intercropping summer mungbean with maize on the fodder and grain yield productivity under different planting geometry. There are fourteen (14) treatments were used for the present study viz. (i) T1 = MPR + 4 MuR using MPR spacing = 37.5 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 112.5 cm, Inter-MuR spacing = 30 cm, (ii) T2 = MPR + 4 MuR using MPR spacing = 30 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 100 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 25 cm, (iii) T3 = MPR + 3 MuR using MPR spacing = 30 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 100 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 30 cm, (iv) T4 = MPR + 3 MuR using MPR spacing = 25 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 85 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 30 cm, (v) T5 = MPR + 3 MuR using MPR spacing = 25 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 75 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 20 cm, (vi) T6 = MPR + 4 MuR using MPR spacing = 25 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 85 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 17 cm, (vii) T7 = MPR + 4 MuR using MPR spacing = 37.5 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 112.5 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 25 cm, (viii) T8 = MPR + 4 MuR using MPR spacing = 30 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 100 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 20 cm, (ix) T9 = MPR + 3 MuR using MPR spacing = 30 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 100 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 25 cm (x) T10 = MPR + 3 MuR using MPR spacing = 25 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 85 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 25 cm, (xi) T11 = MPR + 2 MuR using MPR spacing = 25 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 85 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 25 cm, (xii) T12 = MPR + 3 MuR using MPR spacing = 25 cm, distance between adjacent MPR = 85 cm, Inter-MuR to MuR = 17 cm, (xiii) T13 = Sole Maize (Row to row spacing = 75 cm) and (xiv) T14 = Sole Mungbean (Row to row spacing = 30 cm) where MPR = Maize Paired Row and MuR = Mungbean Row. In the intercropping treatments, maize was grown in paired row using varying spacing of 25-37.5 cm leaving inter-paired-rows space of 85-112.5 cm for sowing mungbean (2-4 rows). Results showed that both the sole maize and mungbean gave the highest per plant values in most of the plant parameters studied. The treatments did not show appreciable difference in plant height, number of leaves/plant and leaf area/plant of maize due to the varying row arrangements. Maize fresh weight/ha and mungbean seed yield/ha decreased drastically by 33 - 56% and 50- 81%, respectively. Among the intercropping treatments ‘4 row-mungbean 25 cm apart accommodated at the space of 112.5 cm left between maize paired rows’ showed higher per plant maize fodder yield. But significantly higher fodder yield and dry weight of maize per hectare was found in sole maize. The sole maize showed significantly the highest values of yield and yield attributes. Among the intercropping treatments with 25 cm - apart maize paired rows leaving 85 cm space between paired rows accommodated with 2-3 rows of 25 cm apart – mungbean (T10) gave comparatively higher values of yield and yield parameters of maize. The sole mungbean showed significantly the highest values of fodder and grain yield and also those of yield attributes. The highest net return, maize equivalent yield, LER and BCR were Tk.69615, 7307.67 Kg/ha, 1.43 and 2.74 respectively with the same treatment. However, the intercropping treatments showed inconsistent results in respect of growth, fodder and yield attributes.