Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka
during the period from October-2021 to February-2022 in Rabi season, to study the effect
of maize-legumes intercropping on growth and yield of maize. The experiment consisted
of single factors, and followed Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three
replications. Four intercropping systems viz: T
1
= sole hybrid maize, T
= hybrid maize +
soybean, T
3
= hybrid maize + grasspea and T
4
2
= hybrid maize + soybean + grasspea were
used in this study. Significant differences in maize growth, yield attributes and yields
were found among the various intercropping systems. The highest plant height of maize
(223.11 cm), total dry matter plant
-1
(186.93 g), cob length (16.27 cm), cob diameter
(5.03 cm), number of rows cob
-1
(15.99), number grains cob
-1
(420.66), grain weight
plant
-1
(109.19 g), 100-grain weight (23.42 g) were observed in T
(sole hybrid maize
cropping). However, the highest systematic grain yield (9.37 t ha
1
-1
), systematic stover
yield (17.11 t ha
-1
) and systematic biological yield (26.48 t ha
-1
) were observed in T
(maize + soybean + grasspea) treatment, while the lowest systematic grain yield (7.97 t
ha
-1
), systematic stover yield (11.77 t ha
-1
) and systematic biological yield (19.74 t ha
)
were observed in T
(sole maize). In terms of economic return, the highest benefit-cost
ratio (BCR) was observed in T
1
(maize + soybean + grasspea), while the lowest benefitcost
ratio
(BCR)
was observed in T
4
(sole hybrid maize cropping). Therefore, the result
suggested that maize + soybean + grasspea intercropping system was found to be the best
intercropping system for higher grain production.
Description:
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of Agriculture
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka,
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN
AGRONOMY
