Performance of Cowpea and Horse Gram as Intercrops with Bt Cotton on Red Soils of Southern Transition Zone of Karnataka Plateau, India

Abstract

Background: Horizontal expansion of area under pulses at country level has very little possibilities. This necessitates exploring alternate ways to increase the area and production of pulses. Bt cotton is the major cash crop grown in large area in Southern transition zone of Karnataka on red soils. Bt cotton hybrids are sown at wide row spacing hence provide sufficient space for cultivation of short duration pulses like cowpea and horse gram. Methods: On-farm trials were carried out in medium deep red soils of Basavanagiri village of Mysore district, Karnataka during 2014- 15 and 2015-16. There were six treatments consists of Bt cotton with farmers practice (T1), Bt cotton with best management practice (T2), sole cowpea (T3), sole horse gram (T4), Bt cotton intercropped with cowpea (T5) and Bt cotton inter cropped with horse gram (T6). On-farm trials were laid out by using RCBD design in five farmer fields, which served as replications. Result: On-farm investigation indicated that there was no much difference between cotton yield sole crop with BMP and inter cropped cotton yield. However, cotton yield was significantly lower in farmers practice over BMP. Intercropping of cowpea and horse gram with Bt cotton resulted in higher cotton equivalent yield, LER and production efficiency over the sole cotton cropping system. This was due to the wider spacing of the cotton and better resource use efficiency in intercropping system.