M. S. ALOM
Principal Scientific Officer
Agronomy Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research, Institute (BARI), Gazipur 1701
B. L. NAG
Principal Scientific Officer
Agronomy Division, BARI, RARS, Jessore,
M. N. ISLAM
Principal Scientific Officer
Agronomy Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research, Institute (BARI), Gazipur 1701
F. AHMED
Senior Scientific Officer
Agronomy Division, BARI, Gazipur 1701,
S. AKTHER
Senior Scientific Officer (SSO)
Agronomy Division, BARI, Gazipur 1701
Intercropping of crop species, Pointed gourd, Component crops.
Regional Agricultural Research Station of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Jessore during November 2008 to October 2010
Variety and Species
Performance
The experiment was conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research Station of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Jessore during November 2008 to October 2010. The soil of the experimental field was silty clay loam in texture belonging to Calcareous Brown Flood Plain under AEZ-11. Initial soil sample was collected from experimental field and analyzed. The treatment combinations were T1 = Pointed gourd (PG) as sole crop, T2 = PG + radish + mungbean (1 row at the boarder of the bed) + amaranth (broadcast), T3 = PG + radish + mungbean (2 rows at the boarder of the bed) + Shabuj sak (broadcast), T4 = PG + radish + Indian spinach (1 row at the boarder of the bed), T5 = PG + radish + Indian spinach (2 rows at the boarder of the bed), and T6 = PG + radish + mungbean : Indian spinach (1 : 1 row at the boarder of the bed). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The unit raised bed (trelli) size was 6.0 m x 1.50 m. pointed gourd vines and radish were sown on 22 November 2008; mungbean and Indian spinach on 07 March 2009 as per treatment after harvesting of radish. Amaranth and Sabujsak were sown after harvest of mungbean as per treatment. Pointed gourd (var. BARI Potal-1), radish (var. Pinky), mungbean (var. BARI Mungbean-6) and local variety of Indian spinach, Amaranth, and Sabujsak were used in the experiment. Six plants of pointed gourd were planted per trellis. One male pointed gourd per 12 plants of female was grown in between two plots from proper pollination of the crop. For pointed gourd in each pit 1.0 kg cowdung, 250 g mustard oil cake, 46g, N, 34g P, 65g K, and 27 g S were applied at time of vine planting in 2008. During May-June 2009, 500 g cowdung, 32 N, 18g P, and 50 g K were also applied in each pit of pointed gourd as ring method. All intercrops were grown with their recommended doses of fertilizers, spacing, and seed rates as sole crop. Irrigation, weeding, and other intercultural operations for pointed gourd, radish, mungbean, and Indian spinach were done as and when required. After completion one crop cycle, the pointed gourd vines were cut at ground level on mid-September 2009 and cultivated as ratoon crop. During 01 November 2009 radish (var. Pinky) was sown again as intercrop in all treatments except sole pointed gourd. After harvest of radish, mungbean and Indian spinach were sown at the same date like previous year. The crop received total rainfall during the crop season was 1049.5 mm in 2008-09 and 773.1mm in 2009-10 (Fig. 1).Yield component data were taken from selected 5 plants of pointed gourd and yield data of all the crops were taken from whole plot and analyzed statistically in individual year. Means were separated by LSD Test at 5% level. Yield of component crops was converted into equivalent yield on the basis of the prevailing market price of individual crop (Bandyopadhyay, 1984). Pointed gourd equivalent yield (PEY) = Ysp + {(Yir × Pr) + (Yim × Pm) + (Yiis × Pis) + (Yia × Pa) + (Yis × Ps)}/ Pp Where, Ysp = Yield of sole pointed gourd (t/ha), Yir = Yield of intercrop radish (t/ha), Yia = Yield of intercrop amaranth (t/ha), Yim = Yield of intercrop mungbean (t/ha), Yiis = Yield of intercrop Indian spinach (t/ha), Yis = Yield of intercrop sabujsak (t/ha), Pis = Selling price of Indian spinach, Pr = Selling price of radish Pa = Selling price of amaranth, Ps = Selling price of sabujsak, Pm = Selling price of mungbean
Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 38(3): 523-529, September 2013, ISSN 0258-7122
Journal