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Compatibility, Growth and Production Potentials of Mustard/lentil Intercrops

M. M. Rahman
Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

M. A. Awal
Tel: +880-1720-343625; Fax: +880-91-55810
Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

A. Amin
Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

M. R. Parvej
Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

An experiment was conducted in the field laboratory of the Crop Botany Department, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh , Bangladesh during the winter season from November 2007 to March 2008.Purpose was to analyze the interspecies compatibility and production potentials of mustard and lentil in inter crop association. The experiment comprised of four planting systems viz., sole mustard, sole lentil, single row (1:1 i.e., one row of mustard followed by one row of lentil) and double row (1:2 i.e., one row of mustard followed by two rows of lentil) inter cropping. The stands height and number of branches (primary and secondary) per plant were maximum and minimum in sole and single row inter cropped plants, respectively. Higher leaf area index and total dry matter production was observed in sole cropped mustard or lentil while those were lower in 1:2 inter cropped mustard or 1:1 inter cropped lentil plants. Maximum seed yield, 1.26 t ha^-1 (or 1.30 t ha^-1) was harvested from sole crop of mustard (or lentil) which was about 40 and 48% (or 34 and 12%) higher than that of the mustard (or lentil) yield obtained from single and double row inter crop mixtures, respectively. Combined seed yield from double row mixture was the maximum (1.8 t ha^-1) and was respectively 11, 30 or 28% higher than that obtained from single row inter cropped stands, sole mustard or lentil. Single and double row inter cropping systems respectively resulted 25 or 41% increase in land equivalent ratios. Area time equivalency ratio was also increased by about 14 and 31%, respectively for single and double row inter cropping systems. The competitive ratio of each population was approached to be unity in both inter cropping systems reflecting the proper balance of the natural resources between associated species resulted better yield. The results suggest that, mustard and lentil populations are well compatible in inter crop association and 1:2 row ratio mixture would be better for their profitable production.

Keywords: Competitive ratio, Intercropping, Land equivalent ratio, Lentil, Mustard

Location: Field Laboratory of the Crop Botany Department, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

Start Date: 00-11-2007

End Date: 00-03-2008

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Lentil, Mustard

Objectives:

1. To assess the compatibility of mustard and lentil plants in inter crop association

2. To evaluate spatial inter cropping systems for their profitable production.

Methodology:

The experiment was conducted at the field Laboratory of the Crop Botany Department, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh (24° 25" N latitude and 90° 50" E longitude, 18 masl), Bangladesh during the winter cropping season from November 2007 to March 2008. Recommended fertilizer doses of N, P₂O₅, K₂O, S and B were applied in the plots corresponding to 106, 67, 30, 36 and 1.1 kg ha^-1, respectively. At the time of final land preparation, 50% of the total N and entire doses of the other fertilizers were applied. The remaining 50% of the N were top dressed before flowering of mustard plants. A crop of tall stature, mustard (var. BINA Sorisha-3) was chosen as dominant/principal crop and that of a short stature crop, lentil (var. BINA Masur-3) was chosen as subordinate/companion crop to reduce spatial competition in the inter cropping system. The seeds of mustard and lentil were sown by hand on 26 November 2007 in rows oriented east to west (E–W) direction as per treatments. Weeding, thinning, plant protection measures and other cultural practices were performed to optimize growth and development of the crops. The experiment comprised of four treatments viz., sole cropping of mustard and lentil and two spatial inter cropping systems namely single (1:1) and double row (1:2) inter cropping. Line to line distance was 25 cm for each sole (mustard or lentil) cropping. In 1:1 inter cropping_, mustard or lentil lines were raised alternatively keeping 25 cm spacing between two lines for each. So, the distance between two consecutive lines of mustard or lentil became 25 cm i.e., both partners had an equal population pressure. In 1:2 inter cropping, two lentil lines were grown in between two mustard lines of 40 cm distance and so, the distance between two lentil lines became 13.33 cm. Plant to plant distance in a line either for mustard or lentil was 10 cm. Unit plot size for each treatment was 5x4 m. The treatments were laid-out in a randomized complete block design with four replicates. The samplings for growth analysis were started from 35 DAS following destructive harvesting method and continued at 10 days intervals till maturity of mustard on 85 DAS or lentil on 105 DAS. At each harvest date, ten plants were extracted carefully keeping maximum roots with them from each sole (mustard or lentil) or inter cropped (5 mustard and 5 lentil plants) plots. The harvested plants were separated into roots, stems, leaves and harvestable sinks (i.e. siliqua or pod). The plant parts were oven dried at 80 °C until constant weight and their corresponding dry weights were recorded separately. The data were recorded on plant height, number of primary branches (branches originated from the main stem) and secondary branches (branches originated from primary branches) per plant and yield. The plant height was recorded with a graduated meter scale placed vertically from the ground level to the top of the shoot of mustard or lentil plants. A representative sample of leaves from each harvested plot was taken and their leaf area was measured with an Electronic Area Meter (LI 3000, USA). Then the total leaf area of the plants from a replication was calculated as (LA/LDW) x total leaf dry weight, where, LA and LDW are the area and dry weight of representative leaf sample, respectively. The Leaf Area Index (LAI) was then calculated as the (leaf area/ground area) m² m^-2 basis. The collected data on various parameters were compiled and statistically analyzed and the mean differences were adjudged by LSD and Duncan`s Multiple Range Test.

Source of Information: International Journal of Botany, 5(1): 100-106, 2009, ISSN 1811-9700.

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: 10.3923/ijb.2009.100.106; URL: http://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=ijb.2009.100.106

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

From the present study that, mustard and lentil populations were found to be well compatible in intercrop association and their 1:2 row ratio mixture i.e., one row of mustard followed by two rows of lentil, would be better for profitable production of these crops.

Knowledge Management: Journal