INTERCROPPING OF WHEAT PAIRED ROW WITH GRASSPEA AND LENTIL UNDER DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NITROGEN

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, during November 2009 to March 2010 to assess the intercropping system of wheat with grasspea and lentil under different spatial arrangement and nitrogen level. Fourteen treatment combinations were T1 = Wheat normal row + 100kg N ha-1, T2 = Wheat paired row (WPR) + 100kg N ha-1, T3 = Sole grasspea + 20kg N ha-1, T4 = Sole lentil + 20kg N ha-1, T5 = WPR + 1 row grasspea + 80kg N ha-1, T6 = WPR + 1 row grasspea + 100kg N ha-1, T7 = WPR + 1 rows grasspea + 120kg N ha-1, T8 = WPR + 1 row lentil + 80kg N ha-1 T9 = WPR + 1 row lentil + 100kg N ha-1, T10 = WPR + 1 row lentil + 120kg N ha-1, T11 = Wheat + lentil (3:1) + 80kg N ha-1 , T12 = Wheat + lentil (3:1) + 100kg N ha-1 T13= Wheat + lentil (3:1) + 120kg N ha-1 ,T14= Wheat + grasspea (3:1) +100kg N ha-1.The experiment was conducted in Randomized Complete Block design with three replications. The experimental materials were wheat (cv. shourav), grasspea (cv. BARI khesari-2) and lentil (cv. BARI moshur-4). Seeds of these crops were sown on 16 November 2009 and harvested on 10 March 2010. Growth, yield, productivity and economic performance were studied. Results revealed that, intercropping system significant by effect on plant height, tillers plant-1, above ground dry matter plant-1, length of spike, spikelet spike-1, 1000 grain weight, grain yield and harvest index of wheat. It also significantly changed plant height, branches plant-1, above ground dry matter plant-1, 1000 seed weight, seed yield (t ha-1) and harvest index of grasspea and lentil. Intercropping reduced the sole wheat yield but economic analysis showed highest gross return (Tk. 88890 ha-1), net return (Tk. 40047 ha-1), and monetary advantage (Tk.16621.70 ha-1) were obtained from T6 (WPR + 1 row grasspea + 100kg N ha-1) which was anagronomic advantage compensating the yield losses in wheat under intercropping system. The higher economic values eventually determined the maximum benefit-cost ratio (1.82) compared with BCR (1.57) for wheat normal planting. In this intercropping system, grasspea showed better compatibility than lentil when intercropped with wheat.