Fodder productivity of pearl millet with intercropping of legumes under various row proportions

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2019 to study the effect of legume intercropping at various row ratios on productivity of fodder pearlmillet. Ten treatments comprising of sole fodder crops (pearl millet, cowpea, clusterbean and mothbean) and intercropping of fodder pearl millet with each fodder legume crop (cowpea, clusterbean and mothbean) in 2:2 and 4.2 ratios were tried in randomized block design with four replications at Agronomy Instructional Farm, C.P.C.A, S. D. Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar. Fodder pearl millet + cowpea in 2:2 row ratio resulted in significantly higher fodder pearl millet growth attributes like number of tillers per plant, leaf to stem ratio, leaf length and leaf width. Whereas, growth and yield attributes like stem girth, green fodder yield and dry fodder yield of fodder pearl millet were significantly higher under sole fodder pearl millet. The treatment fodder pearl millet + cowpea in 2:2 row ratio proved significantly superior over others for total green fodder, total dry fodder and pearl millet green fodder equivalent yield.