Differential Competitive Ability and Growth Habit of Pearl Millet and Clusterbean Cultivars in a Mixed Cropping System in the Arid Zone of In

Abstract

Dryland sustainable agriculture in the arid zone of India depends upon the choice of suitable cultivars for pure and mixed crop stands Field experiments were conducted for two years to examine the response of two contrasting cultivars each of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum)and clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) in pure stands and in mixed pearl millet!clusterbean stands The di]erential response of cultivars of both crops to pure and mixed stands resulted in a signifcant genotype cropping sys! tem interaction Reduction in seed yield of both clus! terbean cultivars was greater in mixed stands with tall and long duration pearl millet MH 179 than with medium statured and early maturing HHB 67. The degree of reduction was greater in Naveen, the branched clusterbean cultivar, than in RGC 086\ the single stemmed cultivar Mixing of pearl millet HHB 56 with medium duration clusterbean cultivar Naveen produced maximum pearl millet equivalent total yield Higher land equivalent ratios (LERs) were also observed when clusterbean cultivars were mixed with early maturing and short statured pearl millet HHB 67.