AGRO-ECONOMIC STUDIES ON SOME WHEAT BASED INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS

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1 Pak. J. Agii. sa; Vl. 29,.4, 1992 I' I AGRO-ECOOMIC STUDIES O SOME WHEAT BASED ITERCROPPIG SYSTEMS Asim isar Bajwa, M. Shafl azir & Saleem Mhsan Department f Agrnmy, University f Agriculture, Faisalabad Studies n sme wheat based intercrpping systems were cnducted at Agrnmic Research Area, University f Agriculture, Faisalabad, Wheat was swn in 40 cm apart single rws as well as in 100 cm apart 4-rw strips. Lentil, gram, methra, carrt, linseed, sarsn, garlic and berseem were swn in space between the wheat strips. Intercrpping f lentil, gram, carrt, methra, linseed, sarsn and garlic decreased the wheat yield by 10.83, 3.34, 15.24,6.78, 18.20, and 0.83%, respectively cmpared t wheat alne in 4-rw strips. Hwever, at the cst Of this much reductin in wheat yield, an additinal harvest f 6.03, 6.10, 3.67, 5.22, 5.36, 5.56, and q ha! f lentil, gram, carrt, methra, linseed, sarsn, garlic and berseem, respectively were btained which cmpensated mre than the lsses in wheat prductin. The highest net incme f Rs, with BCR f 2.90 was btained frm wheat-garlic intercrpping while incme was minimum f Rs with BeR f 2.01 fr wheat alne in 100 em apart 4-rw strips. ITRODUCTIO Farmers in Pakistan are cnstrained by lw crp prductivity due t limited land resurces. A pssible way f increasing the prductivity n small farms wuld be thrugh intercrpping, as it prvides security against ptential lsses f mnculture. Mrever, there is a need fr increased prductin f pulses and ilsceds as we are deficient in prteins and fats in ur daily diet and huge amunt f freign exchange is spent annually n the imprt f these cmmdities. The area under rabi ilseed crps and pulses is limited and cannt be increased due t cmpetitin with wheat. An alternative t increase the prductin f ilseed and pulses culd be thrugh intercrpping them with wheat. There arc reprts shwing n effect f intercrpping n the yield f assciated wheat crp (Ashraf, 1982; Singh et al., 1983). In ther cases, reductin in wheat yield has been reprted upn intercrpping (Khan, 1984). evertheless, the lsses in wheat prductin by the. respective intercrps were cmpensated by additinal harvests f intercrps (Ahmed, 1990; azir et al.; 1988). Mrever, mixed crpping ensured better land utilisatin and higher incme than mnculture. Hwever, cnventinal methds f planting wheat d nt permit easy and systematic intercrpping because f narrw rw spacing. Cnsequently, a new methd f planting wheat in 100 em apart 4- rw strips has been develped (azir et al.; 1988) which has made it feasible t practise intercrpping in wheat cnveniently withut t much intercrp cmpetitin. The present study, therefre, aimed at explring the interactive behaviur f sme rabi crps with wheat in an inter crpping system and t determine the feasibility and ecnmics f sme wheat based inter crpping systems under the agr-eclgical cnditins f Faisalabad. 439

2 Pak. J. AWi. Sci., Vl. 29,.4, 1992 MATERIALS AD METHODS The studies were carried ut at the University f Agriculture, Faisalabad during n sandy clay lam sil. Experiment was laid ut in randmised cmplete blck design with fur replicatins size f 4.8 x 17.5 m. lntercrpping using a net plt systems cmprised wheat alne in 40 em apart single rws, wheat alne in 100 em apart 4-rw strips, wheat-lentil, wheat-sarsn, wheatgarlic and wheat-berseem. Wheat variety SS- 5 was planted n vember 15, 1989 in 100 em apart 4-rw strips as well as in 40 em apart single rws with single rw hand drill n a well prepared seed bed. Seed rate used was 100 kg ha-1. Lentil, gram, carrt, methra, linseed, sarsn and berseem were inter planted in between the strips f wheat n the same day with the help f single rw hand drill while garlic was planted by hand. In all the intcrcrpping systems, bth the cmpnent crps were swn n flat except wheat-lentil and wheat-gram where lwer and upper bed technlgy was used. The height f beds n an average ranged between ern, A basal dse f 100 kg and 50 kg PzOs per hectare in the frm f urea and SSP was applied at the time f swing while the remaining half f was applied at different grwth stages f wheat viz., crwn rt frmatin, tillcring stage, bting stage, anthesis and milking stage. All the ther agrnmic practices were kept unifrm fr all the treatments. Standard prcedures were fllwed t cllect the data n number f spike bearing tiller per unit area, number and weight f grains per spike and looo-grain weight. The data cllected were subjected t Fisher's analysis f vari- ance technique and LSD was used t cmpare differences amng the treatment means (Steel and Trrie, 1980). RESULTS AD DISCUSSIO Gl'wth and yield parameters f wheat: The height f plants grwing under varius treatments did nt vary t a significant extent (Table 1). This clearly indicated that grwth behaviur f wheat plant is mainly cntrlled and regulated by its genetic cnstitutin rather than by a change in envirnment as a result f varius inter crpping systems. The plant height ranged between t cm. These findings are similar t thse f Khan (1986) and azir et al. (1988). Wheat intercrpped with carrts, sarsn, linseed and methra prduced significantly lesser number f spike bearing tillers per unit area than intercrpped with garlic, lentil, berseem and gram which were at par with ne anther including mncrpped wheat (Table 1). Lwer number f tillers per unit area in case f wheat-carrt, wheatlinseed and wheat-sarsn intercrpping systems might be attributed t severe cmpetitin between the cmpnent crps fr essential grwth factrs. These results are quite in line with findings f Khan (1984) and Ahmed (1990). The data pertaining t number f grains per spike shwed nn-significant differences (Table 1). It appeared frm the results that the grain frmatin ptential in wheat is mre r less genetically cntrlled and is least affected by inter crpping. The results are in cnfrmity with thse f Virk (1985). Wheat alne in single rws gave significantly higher grain weight per spike. The lwest grain weight f 1.34 g per spike was recrded fr wheat intercrpped with lentil 440

3 Pak. J. Agri. sa; Vl. 29,.4, 1992 which was at par with wheat intercrpped with sarsn, linseed r carrt. Here, lwer grain weight per spike might be attributed t cntinuus cmpetitive and exhaustive effect f these intercrps with wheat thrughut its grwing perid. Almst similar bservatins were made by Khan (1986). The data n WOO-grain weight revealed significant differences amng the varius intercrpping systems under study (Table 1). Wheat grwn alne r intercrpped with methra, gram, berseem, garlic and sarsn prduced statistically similar WOO-grain weight while differed significantly frm Table 1. Grwth and yield parameters f wheat as affected by different intercrpping systems Intercrpping Plant umber umber Weight f Grain yield system height f spike f grains grains grain (q ha- 1 ) (em) bearing per spike per spike weight tillers _ _ - (m- 2 ) (g) (g) Wheat lntercrp Wheat alne 81.01S 268 a 34.S 1.58 a a a single rws Wheat alne in ab b a b 4-rw strips Wheal-lentil ab c be d 6.03 Wheal-gram abc b a be 6.19 Wheat-carrt ge c d e 3.67 Wheat-methra bcd b a cd 5.22 Wheal-linseed cdc c cd 29.56e 5.36 Wheat-sarsn de c ab e 5.56 Wheal-garlic a b a b Wheat-berscem ab P a b 1%.07 (Fdder) Figures sharing similar letter(s) d nt differ statistically at P = The magnitude f grain develpment in wheat intercrpped with carrts, linseed and wheat is indicated by its WOO-grain weight. Icntil that prduced lwer WOO-grain weight. 441

4 V) Pak. J. Agri. Sci., Vl. 29,.4, 1992 "l ~ ::: S 00 ọ,.., <'i f'!,,.., ;i. V).,.., "'" ~00 ọ... ~ ", 'r) n.,..,.,.., "*,.,,., V),., <II c ' b E ~".5~ " ~ 442

5 Pak. J. AlJIi. Sci., Vl. 29,. 4, 1992 Similar results were reprted by Khan (1984), Khan (1986) and Ahmad (1990). Wheat intercrpped with berseem, garlic and gram gave significantly higher grain yield per hectare than rest f intercrpping treatments but was similar t wheat alne planted in 4-rw strips (Table 1). The highest grain yield f q ha-! was recrded in the sle wheat planted in single rws as against 36.64, 35.84, and q ha! fr wheat-berseem, wheat-garlic, wheat -gram and wheat alne in 4-rw strips, respectively. Decrease in wheat yield by intercrpping f lentil, carrt, methra, linseed and sarsn ver wheat alne was cmpensated by additinal harvest f 6.03, 3.67,5.22, 5.36 and 5.56 q ha! f these intercrps, respectively (Table 2). The lwest grain yield f 29.56, and q ha-! was recrded in case f wheat-linseed, wheat-sarsn and wheat -carrt intercrpping systems, respectively which might be attributed partly t ver shading f wheat by sarsn and carrt plants (kept fr seed purpse) and partly by exhaustive cmpetitin between the cmpnent crps. These results are in line with thse reprted by Khan (1986), azir et at. (1988) and Ahmed (1990). Ecnmic analysis and wheat grain yield e(luivalents f wheat based intercrpping systems: Ecnmic analysis revealed that all the wheat intercrpping systems under study gave cnsiderably higher net incme than sle wheat (Table 2). The highest net incme f Rs, was btained fr wheatgarlic fllwed by wheat-lentil (Rs, 12832) intercrpping but was minimum f Rs, 8064 fr wheat-linseed intercrpping system. The highest benefit cst rati (BCR) value f 2.90 was recrded fr wheat-garlic intercrpping and was minimum f 2.01 fr wheat alne in 4-rw strips. Wheat grain yield equivalents f all the wheat based intercrpping systems under study were fund t be substantially higher than that fr the sle crpping f wheat (Table 2). Intercrpping f garlic, lentil, berseem, carrt, methra, linseed, gram and sarsn increased ttal wheat grain yield equivalents by , 85.97, 68.68, 57.25, 51.13, 34.75, and 25.04%, respectively cmpared t wheat alne grwn in 4-rw strips. REFERECES Ahmad, H.K Studies n bilgical intercrp relatinship and water use techniques in wheal. Ph.D. Thesis, Dept. Agrn., Faisalabad. Univ. f Agri., Ashraf, M Studies n gemetry f planting wheat facilitating intercrpping. M.Sc. Thesis, Dept. Agrn., f Agri., Faisalabad. Univ, Khan, H.R Studies n the feasibility f inter/relay crpping in wheat planted in multi rw strips at unifrm plant ppulatin. M.Sc. Thesis, Dept. Agrn., Univ. f Agri., Faisalabad. Khan, M.A Studies n intercrpping f linseed and mungbean in wheat planted in different gemetrical patterns. M.Sc. Thesis, Dept. Agrn., Univ, f Agri., Faisalabad. azir, M.S., H.R Khan, G. Ali and R Ahmad Inter/relay crpping in wheat planted in multi-rw strips at unifrm plant ppulatin. Res. 9: Pak, J. Agri. Singh, A, P.S. Ahlawat and RB. Lal, Effect f planting patterns, intercrpping and applicatin f phsphrus n the yields f pigen pea and the succeeding crp f wheat. Indian J. Agri. Sci. 53: Steel, RG.D. and J.H. Trrie, Principles and Prcedures f Statistics. McGraw Hill Bk C., Y, USA Virk, M.Y Studies n wheat-legumand wheat nn-legumes intercrsystems. M.Sc. Thesis, Dept Univ, f Agri., Faisalabad. / 443