INTERCROPPING OF GRAM ( CICER ARIETINUM) WITH INDIAN MUSTARD ( BRASSICA JUNCEA) AND LINSEED ( LINUM USITATISSIMUM) ON CONSERVED MOISTURE IN SOUTH- EASTERN RAJASTHAN

Abstract

THE PAPER DISCUSSES THE RESULTS OF A FIELD EXPERIMENT CONDUCTED AT KOTA ( RAJASTHAN) DURING MUSTARD [BRASSICA JUNCEA (L) CZERNJ. COSSON] AND LINSEED ( LINUM USITATISSIMUM L) IN 2:1 , 4:1 AND 6:1 ROWS , 30 cm APART ON YIELD , WATER USE AND COMPETITION INDICES. INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS WERE FOUND MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN SOLE GRAM. GRAM+ LINSEED ROWS GAVE THE HIGHEST GRAM- EQUIVALENT YIELD ( 2079kg/ha) , WHICH WAS 14.9 AND 45.9% HIGHER THAN SOLE GRAM AND SOLE LINSEED RESPECTIVELY. THIS SYSTEM RECORDED THE HIGHEST LAND EQUIVALENT RATIO (1.26) GRAM+ INDIAN MUSTARD INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS SHOWED HIGHER WATER USE THAN SOLE GRAM THE WATER USE EFFICIENCY WAS SLIGHTLY MORE IN INTERCROPPING TREATMENTS THAN IN SOLE GRAM. INDIAN MUSTARD AND LINSEED WERE FOUND DOMINANT AND GRAM DOMINATED , AS JUDGED BY THE VALUES OF COMPETITIVE RATIO, AGGRESSIVITY AND RELATIVE CROWDING CO- EFFICIENT. THESE VALUES OF GRAM INCREASED WITH AN INCREASE IN THE PROPORTION OF GRAM IN ROW COMBINATION . INDIAN MUSTARD SHOWED HIGHER COMPETITIVENESS WITH GRAM THAN LINSEED.