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p>The experiment was carried out at the farmers’ field of On-Farm Research Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Mymensingh during two consecutive years 2015 and 2016 to find out the suitable intercropping system for increasing crop productivity and profitability of groundnut with sesame intercropping system. The treatments were T1=sole groundnut, T2=sole sesame, T3= Two rows of groundnut in between paired rows of sesame and T4= Three rows of groundnut in between paired rows of sesame. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with six dispersed replications. Between intercropped treatments, three rows of groundnut within paired rows of sesame showed higher sesame equivalent yield (2.33 tha-1) and groundnut equivalent yield (2.14 tha-1) which provided the yield advantages of 108 and 32% over the respective sole crops. The highest land equivalent ratio (1.64), gross return (Tk 1,28,350 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (2.15) were also achieved in three rows of groundnut within paired rows of sesame compared to other intercropping and sole cropping systems. The result showed that three rows of groundnut in between paired rows of sesame is found most productive and profitable than sole sesame or sole groundnut for maximum profit in Mymensingh region Bangladesh Agron. J. 2017, 20(1): 99-105 </p
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Bangladesh Agron. J. 2017, 20 (1): 99-105
PERFORMANCE OF INTERCROPPING GROUNDNUT WITH SESAME
M. A. H. Khan, N. Sultana, S. Akhtar, N. Akter and M. S. Zaman
On-Farm Research Division
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
Corresponding author: helim1367@gmail.com
Key words: Intercropping, productivity, equivalent yield, land equivalent ratio and harvest
index
Abstract
The experiment was carried out at the farmers’ field of On-Farm Research Division,
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Mymensingh during two
consecutive years 2015 and 2016 to find out the suitable intercropping system for
increasing crop productivity and profitability of groundnut with sesame intercropping
system. The treatments were T1=sole groundnut, T2=sole sesame, T3= Two rows of
groundnut in between paired rows of sesame and T4= Three rows of groundnut in
between paired rows of sesame. Treatments were arranged in a randomized
complete block design with six dispersed replications. Between intercropped
treatments, three rows of groundnut within paired rows of sesame showed higher
sesame equivalent yield (2.33 tha-1) and groundnut equivalent yield (2.14 tha-1) which
provided the yield advantages of 108 and 32% over the respective sole crops. The
highest land equivalent ratio (1.64), gross return (Tk 1,28,350 ha-1) and benefit cost
ratio (2.15) were also achieved in three rows of groundnut within paired rows of
sesame compared to other intercropping and sole cropping systems. The result
showed that three rows of groundnut in between paired rows of sesame is found
most productive and profitable than sole sesame or sole groundnut for maximum
profit in Mymensingh region
Introduction
Bangladesh is an agriculture based country and about 14.75 % gross domestic product (GDP)
comes from agriculture in Bangladesh (AIS, 2017). The main challenge of the new millennium
is to increase yield of per unit area by at least 50 % through manipulating the limited land
resource. Sesame (
Sesamum indicum
L.) is an important oilseed crop ranked second-in terms of
acreage (38057 ha) of land and produces 36,000 metric tons of sesame seeds with an average
yield of 860 kg ha-1 (BBS, 2015). It can be cultivated both in
kharif
and
rabi
seasons. Sesame
is a drought resistant crop. It cannot tolerate water logging or excess moisture in the field.
Seeds contain 42-45 % oil and 20 % protein (Mondal and Wahhab, 2001). The cultivation of
sesame is drastically declining due to widely increasing of rice, maize and mungbean cultivation
in
kharif-I
season. Moreover, sesame competes with jute and different vegetables in the season.
Intercropping plays an important role in increasing the productivity and stability of yield in
order to improve resource utilization and environmental factors (Alizadeh
et al
., 2010).
Research in different countries reveals that intercropping has several benefits to the farmers
including reduction in farm inputs, diversification of diet, addition of cash crops, increased
labour utilization efficiency, reduced risk of crop failure, more efficient use of water resources,
nutrients and reduced problems caused by pests, diseases and weeds (Awal
et al
., 2006). So,
intercropping of sesame with groundnut could help to retain oilseed crops and ensure highest
productivity per unit area as well as supply of oil . Groundnut (
Arachis hypogaea
L.) is the third
100
Khan et al.
most important legume crop in Bangladesh which grown on 31,579 ha of land and produces
56713 metric tons of nut with an average yield of 1.79 t ha-1 (BBS, 2015). Recently the area
of groundnut is being decreased due to the competition with
rabi
crops like wheat, potato,
boro
rice
and mustard (Alom
et. al
., 2009). Moreover, most of the char land of Bangladesh become
inundated in
kharif
season which also one of the causes the decline of groundnut production
area. Some experimental evidences showed that in the sesame field groundnut can be grown as
intercrop. Groundnut var. BARI Chinabadam-8 is short in stature and suitable for early
kharif
and late
kharif
planting. Groundnut can withstand excessive rainfall. So, if sesame crop is
damaged due to heavy rainfall, groundnut crop will thrive and farmers will not lose their crops
fully. The research findings stated that nitrogen fixation in groundnut and the residual benefits
through incorporation of stover to subsequent crops were estimated in farmers’ fields (Mondal
and Wahhab, 2001). Better intercrop production could be achieved with the choice of
appropriate crops population density and planting geometry of component crops (Santalla
et
al
., 2001). Groundnut and sesame in intercropping systems may increase their production and
profit. In this context, the experiment was conducted to find out the suitable intercrop
combination of sesame with groundnut for higher productivity and profitability.
Materials and Methods
The experiment was carried out at the farmers’ field of On-Farm Research Division,
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Mymensingh during two consecutive years
2015 and 2016 to find out the suitable intercropping system for increasing crop productivity
and profitability of groundnut sesame intercropping system. The experimental soil was sandy
loam to silty loam of the medium highland having pH 6.2 to 6.5 under the Agro-ecological
Zone-9 (AEZ-9). The treatments were as T1= sole groundnut, T2= sole sesame, T3= Two rows
of groundnut in between paired rows of sesame and T4= Three rows of groundnut in between
paired rows of sesame. Groundnut var. BARI Chinabadam-8 and Sesame var. BARI Til-4 were
used. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with six dispersed
replications. The unit plot size was 8.0 m x 5.0 m. The seeds of sesame were sown in 30 cm
apart paired rows and 75 cm between two pairs with 5 cm between the plants. The spacing
maintained for sole groundnut was 25 cm x 10 cm for intercropping system, the plant
population of sesame plots remained same as sole plot but it varied for groundnut. The seed
germination of both crops was 95 percent. Seeds of both crops were sown on 07 to 14 March
2015 and 2016. Fertilizers were applied at the rate of 15-32-42-27-2-2 kg NPKSZnB ha-1 in
the form of urea, triple super phosphate, muriate of potash, gypsum, zinc sulphate and boric
acid, respectively (Mondal and Wahhab, 2001). All fertilizers were applied as basal during final
land preparation by broadcasting method. Additional 20 kg ha-1 of urea applied as top dressed
in between two rows of sesame at 25-30 DAS. Thinning was done after 15-20 days of seed
germination in both the years. Mulching and hand weeding were done as and when necessary
to keep the field reasonable weed free. Dursban 2ml L-1 water was sprayed at 15-20 days
intervals as precautionary measure against insects attack. Dithane M-45 2g L-1 water was
sprayed at 15 days intervals at the later stages of groundnut as precautionary measure from
prevalence of disease. Seed, pod and straw yields at harvest were converted into tha-1 after
proper drying. Sesame was harvested on 07-10 June 2015 and 08-12 June 2016 and
groundnut on 07-14 July 2015 and 15-21 July 2016 at physiological maturity..
101
Performance of Intercropping Groundnut with Sesame
Pest and disease incidence: Nitro @ 2mlL-1 water was sprayed twice at 10 days interval for
successful controlling the hairy caterpillar and thrips. Stem rot of sesame was observed
sporadically in the flowering stage of sesame; Baiting @ 2gL-1 water was sprayed twice at 7
days interval for controlling fungal disease. No other disease and insects infestation was
observed during the cropping period. The yield contributing characters of sesame and
groundnut were recorded from 10 randomly selected plants in both the years. Harvest index
(HI) was calculated as per following equation:
HI (%) =
100
yield Biological
yieldGrain
Yield of individual crop was converted into equivalent yield on the basis of the prevailing market
price of individual crop (Prasad and Srivastava, 1991).
Sesame equivalent yield (SEY) = Yield of intercrop sesame +
PsPgYig
and
Groundnut equivalent yield (GEY) = Yield of intercrop groundnut +
PgPsYis
Where, Yig= Yield of intercrop groundnut, Pg= Price of groundnut, Ps= Price of sesame and
Yis= Yield of intercrop sesame
In intercropping systems, relative yield was quantified by (Jokinen, 1991).
Relative Yield of Sesame (RYs):
Yss
Yis
, Relative Yield of Groundnut (RYg):
Ysg
Yig
and
Relative yield total (RYT): RYs + RYg,
Where Yss= Yield of sole sesame, Yis= Yield of intercrop sesame, Ysg= Yield of sole
groundnut and Yig yield of intercrop groundnut.
On the other hand, land equivalent ratio (LER) was used for measuring the efficiency of
intercropping advantages using the resources of environment compared to monoculture. Land
equivalent ratio (LER) were calculated by adding the partial LER for each crop and it was
calculated by the following formula (Mead and Willey, 1980)
LER=
Ysg
Yig
Yss
Yis
Where, Yis=Yield of intercrop sesame, Yss=Yield of sole sesame, Yig=Yield of intercrop
groundnut and Ysg=Yield of sole groundnut
Pooled analysis was done as because there was no significant difference in yield and yield
contributing characters between two years. Data were statistically analyzed using analysis of
variance technique with the help of computer package MSTAT-C and mean comparison
among the treatments was made by LSD test at 5% level of significance.
102
Khan et al.
Results and Discussion
Yield and yield attributes of sesame: It was observed that the seed yields of sesame significantly
influenced intercropping systems but other yield attributes were not insignificant (Table 1). The
highest seed yield (1.12 t ha-1) was recorded from T2 (sole sesame) which was statistically
different with T3 (Two rows of groundnut in between paired rows of sesame) and T4 (Three
rows of groundnut in between two paired rows of sesame). Lower seed yield (0.89 t ha-1) was
obtained from T3 which was statistically significant with other treatments. Higher seed yield of
sesame was observed in monoculture compared to intercropping systems might be due to no
intercrop competition for light, nutrients, moisture and space. This result corroborates with the
findings of Uddin
et al
., (2003). Sesame gave 13 to 21 % lower yield in intercropping
treatments as compared to their corresponding monoculture, though the plant population of
sesame was constant regardless of treatment. The seed yield of sesame was reduced probably
due to intercrop competition between sesame and groundnut. However, additional yield from
groundnut not only compensated the deficit but also gave extra income. This finding is in
conformity with Islam
et al
., (2016). The harvest index (HI) of sesame did not differ by the
intercropping systems; it had higher values in T4>T3>T2 (Table 1).
Table1. Seed yield, yield attributes and harvest index of sesame under sesame + groundnut
intercropping systems in Mymensingh, 2015 and 2016 (Pooled)
Treatments
Branch
plant-1 (no.)
Capsules plant-1
(no.)
1000-
seed
wt. (g)
Seed yield
( t ha-1)
Harvest
index
(%)
T2
5.1
86.2
3.2
1.12
37
T3
5.1
89.8
3.4
0.89
50
T4
5.0
90.8
3.4
0.97
51
LSD (0.05)
ns
ns
ns
0.20
ns
CV (%)
8.73
5.32
7.44
6.42
-
Note:- T2=Sole sesame, T3=Two rows of groundnut in between paired rows of sesame and T4= Three
rows of groundnut in between paired rows of sesame.
Yield and yield attributes of groundnut: The variation was found in branches plant-1, kernel
plant-1, shelling percent and nut yield hectare while plant height and 100-kernel weight were
found insignificant (Table 2). The highest nut yield was recorded in T1 (sole groundnut) mainly
due to the higher kernel number plant-1, 100-kernel weight and shelling percent of groundnut.
The nut yield of groundnut was reduced 23 to 46 % in intercropping system than sole crop of
groundnut. This result corroborates with the findings of Razzaque
et al
., (2007) who reported
that less groundnut yield was obtained from intercropping system than sole crop due to shading
effect of chilli on groundnut. In T4 (Three rows of groundnut in between paired rows of
sesame) had higher nut yield due to paired rows planting system of sesame fovoured the growth
of intercropped groundnut and judicious use of growth resources compared to others. These
results are in conformity with the findings of Islam
et al
., (2006). Higher harvest index (HI) of
groundnut was slightly higher in T4 (Three rows of groundnut in between two paired rows of
sesame) possibly owing to use of more assimilates to the reproductive organs (Table 2).
103
Performance of Intercropping Groundnut with Sesame
Table 2. Nut yield, yield attributes and harvest index of groundnut under sesame + groundnut
intercropping systems in Mymensingh, 2015 and 2016 (Pooled)
Treatments
Plant
height
(cm)
Branch
plant-1
(no.)
Kernel
plant-1
(no.)
100- kernel
wt.
(g)
Shelling
(%)
Nut yield
( t ha-1)
Harvest
index
(%)
T1
38.2
7.8
17.2
90.2
66.4
1.62
52
T3
35.0
6.8
13.2
88.4
64.4
0.88
48
T4
36.0
6.6
14.2
89.6
66.0
1.25
53
LSD (0.05)
ns
1.01
2.14
ns
1.74
0.32
-
CV (%)
6.77
9.84
9.90
5.32
8.33
7.62
-
Note:-T1=Sole groundnut, T3=Two rows of groundnut in between two paired rows of sesame and
T4= Three rows of groundnut in between two paired rows of sesame.
Equivalent yield and relative yield: All the intercropping systems gave higher sesame and
groundnut equivalent yield than that of their corresponding sole crops (Table 3). The highest
sesame equivalent yield (2.33 t ha-1) as well as groundnut equivalent yield (2.14 t ha-1) were
recorded from T4 (three rows of groundnut in between two paired rows of sesame) which
covered the yield advantages of 133 and 37 % over their respective sole crops. Such yield
advantage might be due to combined yield of both the crops. The results are in agreement
with the finding of Islam
et. al.
, (2016) who reported that highest turmeric equivalent yield was
found from turmeric (100 %) + 3 rows of sesame in between turmeric lines. The partial relative
yields of intercropped sesame varied from 0.79 to 0.87 and intercropped groundnut ranged
from 0.54 to 0.77 (Table 3). Sesame yield was reduced (13 to 21 %) and groundnut yield
reduced (23 to 46 %) among the intercropping system. The yield was reduced due to lower
plant population. The result showed that T4 was well accommodative in competitiveness in
sesame + groundnut intercropping system (Table 3).
Land equivalent ratio (LER): The land equivalent ratio (LER) was used to assess the
performance of an intercrop relative to the corresponding sole crop (Mead and Willey, 1980).
The highest LER value (1.55) was obtained from T4 (three rows of groundnut in between two
paired row of sesame) which indicated the superiority of intercropping over monoculture (Table
3). It also expressed that by intercropping groundnut with sesame, a farmer can produce 1.25
tons groundnut and 0.97 tons sesame in one hectare of land instead of cultivate those
separately as sole crop.
Table 3. Equivalent yields, relative yields and land equivalent ratio of sesame + groundnut
combinations in Mymensingh, 2015 and 2016 (Pooled)
Treatments
Sesame
equivalent yield
(t ha-1)
Groundnut
equivalent
yield (t ha-1)
Partial relative yield (t ha-1)
Land
equivalent
ratio (LER)
Sesame
Groundnut
T1
1.77
1.62
-
-
1.00
T2
1.12
1.03
-
-
1.00
T3
1.85
1.70
0.79
0.54
1.33
T4
2.33
2.14
0.87
0.77
1.64
Note:-T1=Sole groundnut, T2=Sole sesame, T3=Two rows of groundnut in between paired
rows of sesame and T4= Three rows of groundnut in between paired rows of sesame.
104
Khan et al.
Economic return of intercropping groundnut with sesame: On the basis of two years average
result, the highest monetary return (Tk. 68,535) was observed in T4 (three rows of groundnut
in between two paired rows of sesame) which gave an additional income of Tk. 27,300 over
sole crop of groundnut and Tk. 54,735 over sole crop of sesame (Table 4). Both intercrop
combination gave higher monetary advantages over sole groundnut and sesame. The highest
BCR (2.15) was found in T4 (three rows of groundnut in between two paired rows of sesame)
over other treatments. These results are in agreement with the findings of Islam
et al
. (2016)
who stated that turmeric (100 %) + 3 rows of sesame (100 %) in between turmeric lines
intercropping system gave higher additional income and BCR over the sole crop of turmeric.
Table 4. Economics of intercropping sesame with groundnut in Mymensingh, 2015 and 2016
(average of two years)
Treatments
Gross return
(Tk. ha-1)
Total cost
(Tk. ha-1)
Gross margin
(Tk. ha-1)
BCR
T1
97200
55965
41235
1.74
T2
61600
47800
13800
1.29
T3
101750
57390
44360
1.77
T4
128350
59815
68535
2.15
Market price: Groundnut= Tk. 60 kg-1 and Sesame= Tk. 55 kg-1
Conclusion
Two years average result indicating that intercropping groundnut with sesame gave maximum
productivity as well as economic return than monoculture of component crops. The equivalent
yields, relative yields, land equivalent ratio (LER) values and economic return were found highest
in T4 (three rows of groundnut in between two paired rows of sesame) in groundnut + sesame
intercropping system. Thus it could be concluded that three rows of groundnut in between
paired rows of sesame intercropping system could be adopted for better productivity with
maximum profit for the farmers of Mymensingh regions instead of sole crops.
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... Therefore, intercropping should not be evaluated only on the biological yield basis, rather it should be evaluated based on the economic feasibility and if sustainability in terms of crop diversification. This finding corroborates with findings of Khan et al. [34]. ...
... It is obvious that there are different indexes to estimate the advantages of mixed cropping in different aspects. However, different scholars have been using different indexes and among whom; Bhatti et al. [33] used only economic benefit analysis; Sarma et al. [42] used two indexes; Khan et al. [34] used three indexes; Bantie et al. and Moinuddin [31,43] used four indexes; Sadeghpour et al. [44] used five indexes; Jan et al. [41] used six indexes; Aasim et al. [38] used eight indexes; Khonde et al. [40] used nine different indexes. However, there are no clear justifications why they use some indexes and why not the others. ...
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... The above findings revealed that intercrop systems generally increased productivity as they had higher LER compared to their respective monocrops. Khan et al. (2017) reported similar findings that intercropping systems had superior yields compared to the monocrops. Dahmardeh et al. (2010), also observed higher LER of intercropping systems and therefore concluded that intercropping was more beneficial compared to monoculture. ...
... Findings above indicate increased productivity in the intercrop systems compared to the sole crops. Khan et al. (2017) also stated that intercropping gives superior yields when compared with monocropping systems. Kermah et al. (2017) furthermore reported that LER values for the different intercrop patterns were all greater than unity which confirmed that intercropping led to more productive use of land than sole cropping. ...
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... Plant distribution changes the microenvironments and could affect growth, development and yield due to the interception of available photosynthetic active radiation (Isaac et al., 2020). Optimal plant spacing ensures plants grow properly both above and below ground by proper utilization of nutrients and solar radiation (Khan et al., 2017). The spatial arrangement of sesame and sorghum significantly affected sesame productivity and LER values and 1:1 arrangement system was preferable (Dejen et al., 2019). ...
... There is a yield advantage of intercropping If K value is greater than one, but if the value of K is one there is no yield advantage on other hand if less than one the system has the disadvantage (Khan et al., 2017). Results in Table 7 clear that K values of all intercropping treatments were greater than one and ranged by 1.04 and 7.64 in 2019 season and 1.05 and 7.09 in 2020 season respectively. ...
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Intercropping is one way to reduce the request for more environmental resources for agriculture sustainability. A field trail was implemented at Sids Agricultural Experimental and Research Station, Egypt, during 2019 and 2020 season to study the effect of sesame sowing date [3 weeks before sowing maize (D1), simultaneously with maize (D2) and 3 weeks after sowing maize (D3)] and plant distribution of sesame [1 row (S1), 2 rows (S2) and 3 rows (S3)] on yields of both crops, land use and financial benefit. Split-plot design with three replications was used. Results showed that the highest values of maize agronomic traits were observed when late intercropping of sesame at D3 with one row of sesame. In contrast, sowing 3 rows of sesame significantly reduced the productivity of maize, while introducing sesame at D1 resulted in the highest values for sesame agronomic traits. The values of LER, RCC and AYL of D2 x S1 surpassed the other intercropping treatments. Aggressivity was (+) for sesame at D1 and D2 but it was (-) at D3. Furthermore, D2 x S1 surpassed the other intercropping treatments in total return (2297 US$), MAI 633 and increased return by 61.5 % over solid maize. It can be concluded that sesame simultaneously with maize by inter seeding one row of sesame spaced into maize maximize land use, income and food sustainability.
... Because sesame is a short duration crop, it has the potential to enhance cropping systems intensification and diversification (Oyeogbe et al. 2015). Khan et al (2017) reported that máximum productivity and economic return was obtained when intercropping groundnut with sesame. Land equivalent ratio, equivalent yields, relative yields values and economic return were found highest under cultivated three rows of ground nut in between twop air rows of sesame. ...
... It is clear that plant population density of sesame and tomato played a major role in increasing productivity per unit area under intercropping planting where it reached 25 and 100 % of sole planting, respectively. Similar results were obtained by Khan, et al (2017) and Amira A. El-Mehy and Mohamed (2018). The aggressivity of sesame were negative while values of tomato were positive in CS1 with all intercropping dates in both seasons. ...
... Groundnut + Black gram registered slightly lower plant height (33.52 cm), and Groundnut + Castor had a height of 33.92 cm. Taller plants resulted in the production of more branches and a greater number of pods per plant (16.48), as confirmed by Khan et al. (2017) and Nweke et al. (2013). Test weight was relatively consistent across Crop Establishment Methods, with seed drill sowing with compartmental bunding having the highest test weight (32.38 g), while the lowest test weight was observed in seed drill sowing with no land configuration (31.6 g). ...
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Sathiya et al.: Suitable crop establishment method and intercrops for semi-spreading groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in dryland rainfed ecosystem of north eastern zone of Tamil Nadu-123-APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 23(1):123-135. Abstract. The prevalence of uneven rainfall distribution and intermittent droughts during the crop growth period frequently lead to crop failure. Semi-spreading groundnut demonstrates resilience to moisture stress under diverse land configurations, offering opportunities for intercropping. This adaptability not only helps the groundnut crop withstand challenging environmental conditions but also presents a potential strategy for mitigating risks during drought years. Under these circumstances, this study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of semi-spreading groundnut for the north eastern zone of Tamil Nadu, India. The experiment employed a strip plot layout with 12 treatment combinations viz., Seed drill sowing with raised beds (90 cm) of Groundnut + Black gram (M1S1); Groundnut + Cowpea (M1S2) Groundnut + Red gram (M1S3); Groundnut + Castor (M1S4); Seed drill sowing with compartmental bunding of Groundnut + Black gram (M2S1); Groundnut + Cowpea (M2S2) Groundnut + Red gram (M2S3); Groundnut + Castor (M2S4) Seed drill sowing with no land configuration of Groundnut + Black gram (M3S1); Groundnut + Cowpea (M3S2) Groundnut + Red gram (M3S3) Groundnut + Castor (M3S4). The groundnut variety TMV 10 was utilized, and collected data were subjected to statistical analysis to determine the study's outcomes. The adoption of the seed drill sowing with raised bed and compartmental bunding crop establishment technique resulted in a higher pod yield of 703 kg/ha, surpassing the flatbed method of sowing which yielded 605 kg/ha. Among the intercrops, cowpea and castor exhibited notably higher seed yields. An overall Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) analysis revealed that opting for compartmental bunding, raised bed with a red gram/cowpea intercrop provided the maximum return of 1.43per 1.43 per invested.
... This was to be expected because the density of sesame in the sole cropping pattern was the highest, and with the reduction of the proportion of sesame in intercropping, the density of the plant per unit area also decreased. Similar to these findings, Khan et al. (2017) reported a reduction in the seed yield of sesame under the intercropping system compared to monocropping in sesame-groundnut intercrop. ...
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Sustainable increase of total productivity by improvement of resources use efficiency in arid areas is very important. Intercropping can be a good practice for this strategy. For this purpose, a three-year field experiment was conducted as a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications to assess the agronomic and economic indices of intercropping patterns. The experiment treatments included C1: sole cotton, C2: sole sesame, and intercropping ratios (C3: 20:80, C4: 40:60, C5: 50:50, C6: 60:40, and C7: 80:20 cotton-sesame ratio). Obtained results showed that the leaf chlorophyll content and leaf area index were significantly higher in the intercropped plants than sole cropped plants. The yield components of both crops (such as branches per plant, capsules per plant, seeds per capsule, and 1000-seed weight for sesame, and opened bolls per plant, closed boll per plant, and seed cotton per boll for cotton) significantly improved under intercropping. However, the highest sesame seed yield (2703, 1979, and 1358 kg ha-1, respectively) and seed cotton yield (3749, 2179, and 3426 kg ha-1, respectively) in the three experiment years were observed in sole cropping treatment. Implementation of the intercropping significantly improved the water use efficiency of the cropping system, so that the highest values in the first to third year (0.67, 0.51, and 0.41 kg m-3, respectively) were recorded in the C4, C3, and C7 treatments. Intercropping evaluation indices showed the advantage of intercropping compared to sole cropping. The highest value of the land equivalent ration in the first year (1.28) belonged to the C4 treatment, while in the second and third years, belonged to the C7 treatment (1.40 and 1.10, respectively). The calculation of the aggressivity index revealed that in most of the intercropping patterns, especially in the first and second years, cotton was dominant over sesame. The highest actual yield loss value in the first year (0.64) belonged to the C3 treatment, while in the second and third years, belonged to the C7 treatment (1.42 and 0.34, respectively). The highest economic advantage in terms of the monetary advantage index in the first year was obtained due to the C4 treatment (1140.5), and in the second and third years, was observed due to the C7 treatment (940.6 and 265.5, respectively). The intercropping advantage index in the three experiment years was highest (1.41, 3.38, and 0.80, respectively) for the C7 treatment. In general, the results of this research show the compatibility of cotton and sesame to intercropping system and significant improving the resources use efficiency (especially water and land) under the intercropping in an arid area and its greater economic benefit than sole cropping.
... The results are agreement with the findings of Ahmed et al., (2013) and Khan et al., (2017). ...
Article
A field experiment was conducted during two consecutive years 2017-18 and 2018-19 at farming system research and development (FSRD) site, under South Surma Upazilla of Sylhet in Bangladesh to find out the suitable crop combination for increasing total productivity, return and maximizing land utilization through intercropping. Five treatments viz. T1: Sweet potato + red amaranth, T2: Sweet potato + leaf amaranth, T3: Sweet potato + mustard green, T4: Sweet potato + mustard and T5: Sweet potato sole (100% sweet potato) were considered in the experiment. Results showed none of the intercrop-combination influenced the root yield of sweet potato. Tuberous root yield of sweet potato in 100% sweet potato + 100% mustard green combination was at per sweet potato sole cultivation. Sweet potato yield did not reduce significantly due to intercropping. The highest sweet potato equivalent yield (41.75 t ha-1), land equivalent ratio (1.37), gross return (Tk. 625950 ha-1), gross margin (Tk. 495500 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (4.80) were recorded from sweet potato 100% + mustard green 100% combination. On the contrary, sweet potato sole gave the lowest sweet potato equivalent yield (30.60 t ha-1), gross margin (Tk.330300 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (3.57). The results revealed that sweet potato 100% + mustard green 100% intercropped combination might be suitable for higher productivity and economic return. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 46(2): 123-131, June 2021
... The intercropping of sesame with blackgram in 4:2 row ratio was next profitable system due to higher blackgram yield and price. Similar profitable sesame intercropping system was also reported by Khan et al.(2017). ...
... Moreover, the negative MA values were obtained with the treatments T 6 : Sesame + groundnut (2:1), T 9 : Sesame + groundnut (3:1) and T 10 : Sesame + groundnut (3:2) where sesame populations were 67, 75 and 60 % , respectively. The results corroborate with the findings of Khan et al. (2017) and Chavan et al. (2019). ...
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The demand supply gap between production of edible oilseeds and domestic need for edible oils warrants increase in production of edible oilseeds in India. Hence, there is a scope for adoption of appropriate cropping systems with improved agronomic practices. Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) are two important oilseeds that can be cultivated during different cropping systems under limited resource conditions. Based on the above, a field experiment on intercropping sesame + groundnut was conducted at the Experimental Farm of Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha. Reduction of proportion of an individual crop species reduced the productivity over their respective pure stands. Among intercropping combinations, the treatment T 5 : sesame + groundnut (1:3) produced more oil yield (594 kg/ha). The study clearly indicated that 50 percent or above population of groundnut recorded considerably higher oil yield under the intercropping sesame + groundnut. The land equivalent ratio, relative crowding coefficient and monetary advantage was advantageous with the treatments T 3 : sesame + groundnut (1:1), T 4 : sesame + groundnut (1:2), T 5 : sesame + groundnut (1:3), T 7 : sesame + groundnut (2:2), T 8 : sesame + groundnut (2:3) and T 11 : sesame + groundnut (3:3). The study concluded that sesame can be intercropped in groundnut with a proportion of 50% or more of legumes (groundnut) to achieve the benefits of intercropping during summer season in south Odisha conditions.
Book
Intercropping system is an age-old cropping system where two or more crops coexist for a significant time of their growth period. In the present context of negative impacts on crop productivity and soil fertility, a system approach in cropping has become more relevant. The book 'Intercropping System' is divided into nine chapters that deal with the theory and practices of the intercropping system including recent research evidence. The first two chapters describe the overview of the intercropping system and complexity as well as the competitive relationship among component crops. The third chapter narrates the management options in the intercropping systems, while the fourth chapter highlights the multifaceted benefits of an intercropping system. Chapter 5 tells the suitability for the adoption of the intercropping system in organic agriculture. The sixth chapter describes how an intercropping system can ensure agricultural sustainability and some of the sustainable development Goals (SDGs). Chapter 7 illustrates the practice of alley cropping, a form of agroforestry, in resource-poor conditions. Legumes are considered an automatic choice in the intercropping system and hence, in the eighth chapter, the benefits of the inclusion of legumes as components have been described. Finally, in the ninth chapter, the performance of important crops in the intercropping system has been highlighted.
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The efficient use of solar radiation is one of the major criteria for obtaining a yield advantage through intercropping. Although various combinations of crops have been reported for intercropping systems, the maize/peanut association has yet to be analysed. This report presents the radiation-use efficiency (ɛ) results of a maize/peanut intercrop study. The experiment constituted three treatments: sole crops of maize and peanut, and a maize/peanut intercrop. The canopy light extinction coefficient (k) of peanut was reduced while intercropped with maize. The mean ɛ of intercropped peanut (2.13g(DW)MJ−1) was 79% higher than that of peanut stands alone. The ɛ of combined intercropped stands (3.03g(DW)MJ−1) was more than two-fold that of sole peanut, but slightly lower than that of maize stands alone (3.27g(DW)MJ−1). The harvest index (HI) of intercropped peanut was about 13% lower than that of peanut grown alone, but produced 46% of the pods of the latter (299gm−2), the parameter that represents the true output of this intercropping system. These results suggest that a maize/peanut intercropping would help to increase production through the efficient utilisation of solar energy. A simple model was developed to isolate the daily radiation interception of each of the canopies of the intercrop partners in separate strata, taking into account the alteration of the k of the understorey. The model may also be applicable in agroforestry systems.
Article
Common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L., is traditionally intercropped with maize by small-scale farmers in northwest Spain. Interactions of genotypes of beans with cropping systems and seasons were studied to determine if selection of bean in sole cropping would be a valid approach to genetic improvement for intercropping. In this experiment, 10 dry bush bean varieties were evaluated in sole cropping and intercropping with two types of maize (field and sweet maize) at two locations for 2 years. The performance of bean genotypes in each cropping system was compared with respect to developmental plant characteristics, seed yield and yield components and food quality traits. A significant bean genotype×cropping system interaction was found for period of flowering and seed yield, and there were significant differences between cropping systems for pods per plant, seed length and seed coat proportion. Intercropping with field maize reduced bean yield by 55% and intercropping with sweet maize reduced bean yield by 44%. Significant and high correlations of bean yields were obtained between sole cropping and intercropping with maize. Mean yields were used to calculate the land equivalent ratios (LERs), which averaged 1.12 for intercropping with field maize and 0.93 for intercropping with sweet maize. Specific variety combinations reached LER values greater than one. Net income was higher for some intercrop patterns than for bush bean sole crop. The most competitive bean varieties yielded the most when intercropped with maize but those varieties were not necessarily the highest yielding in sole cropping. The most competitive bean varieties were the latest to flower. The evaluation of bush bean genotypes for agronomic and food quality traits under sole cropping provides sufficient information to select varieties efficiently for the field maize-bean and sweet maize-bean intercropping systems. Greatest net income was realized when bush beans intercropped with sweet maize, provided a system with higher added value compared to intercropping with field maize.
Article
The experiment was carried out at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Jessore to evaluate the performance of different varieties of hybrid maize under intercropping systems with groundnut in rabi seasons to find out the suitable intercropping system in increasing crop productivity and profitability of consecutive two years (2004 and 2005). Four sole crops of hybrid maize varieties (BHM-1, BHM-3, Pacific-11 and Pacific-984), one sole crop of groundnut (var. Jhingabadam) and eight intercropping systems of maize + groundnut under two planting methods viz., normal and paired row made 13 treatments were used. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Among the intercropped treatments, four rows groundnut in between paired rows of hybrid maize var. Pacific-11 showed higher maize equivalent yield (13.56 t/ha in 2003-04 and 15.34 t/ha in 2004-05), groundnut equivalent yield (4.34 t/ha in 2003-04 and 4.91 t/ha in 2004-05), land equivalent ratio (1.54 in 2003-04 and 1.66 in 2004-05) as compared to other treatments. Key Words: Hybrid maize varieties; intercropping systems; groundnut. DOI: 10.3329/bjar.v34i4.5835 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 34(4) : 585-595, December 2009
Article
Criteria for evaluating different intercropping situations are suggested, and the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) concept is considered for situations where intercropping must be compared with growing each crop sole. The need to use different standardizing sole crop yields in forming LERs is discussed, and a method of calculating an ‘effective LER’ is proposed to evaluate situations where the yield proportions achieved in intercropping are different from those that might be required by a farmer. The possible importance of effective LERs in indicating the proportions of crops likely to give biggest yield advantages is discussed.
Yield, yield components and potential weed control of intercropping bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)
  • Y Alizadeh
  • A Koocheki
  • M Nassiri Mahallati
Alizadeh, Y., A. Koocheki and M. Nassiri Mahallati. 2010. Yield, yield components and potential weed control of intercropping bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) with sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Iranian J. of Field Crops Res. 7 (2): 541-553.
Year Book of Agricultural Statistics of Bangladesh. Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
BBS (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics). 2015. Year Book of Agricultural Statistics of Bangladesh. Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka. p 40.
Planting arrangement and population density effects on the physiology attributes and productivity of maize-bush bean intercropping system
  • M N Islam
  • M M Haque
  • A Hamid
Islam, M. N., M. M. Haque and A. Hamid. 2006. Planting arrangement and population density effects on the physiology attributes and productivity of maize-bush bean intercropping system. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 31(3):353-364.