Impact of mungbean-maize intercropping on growth and yield of mungbean.

Abstract

The influence of different intercropping treatments on yield and yield components of mungbean was investigated at the New Developmental Farm of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Agricultural University Peshawar. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications, and comprised of five treatments viz, sole mungbean, maize + 1 row of mungbean simultaneously seeded, intercrop maize + 2 rows of mungbean simultaneously seeded, intercrop maize + 1 row of mungbean delay seeded by 3 weeks, intercrop maize + 2 rows of mungbean delay seeded by 3 weeks. The treatments significantly affected nodules plant -1 , nodule dry weight, pods plant -1 , number of grains pod -1 , thousand grain weight, grain yield and biological yield; though the impact was non-significant on weeds fresh and dry biomass parameters. Highest number of nodules plant -1 (9.87), nodules dry weight (2.10 g), number of pods plant -1 (17.32), number of grains pod -1 (4.23), thousand grain weight ( 39.33 g), biological yield (1654 kg ha -1 ) and grain yield (525 kg ha -1 ) of mungbean was recorded in plots where sole mungbean was cultivated as compared to intercropping with maize in all combinations. In conclusion, the sole cultivation of mungbean was the most effective intercropping system in terms of yield and yield components of mungbean crop.