INFLUENCE OF SOWING PATTERN AND NITROGEN LEVEL ON THE PRODUCTIVITY UNDER MAIZE-CHICKPEA INTERCROPPING SYSTEM

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the research field of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural tiniversity, Dhaka during the period of December, 2007 to May, 2008 to study the influence of sowing pattern and nitrogen levels on the productivity under maizechickpea intercropping system in a Randomized Complete Block I)esign (RCBD) with 3 replications. The experiment comprised seven treatments viz, T 1

= Sole maize normal row (MNR) with 120 kg N ha". 12 = Sole maize paired row (MPR) with 120 kg N ha4,

13 = MNR + 2 chickpea rows with 120 kg N ha", T.1 = MNR + 2 chickpea rows with 90 kg N ha ', 15

= MPR + 5 chickpea rows with 120 kg N ha", T 6

= MPR ± 5 chickpea rows with 90 kg N ha" and T7

= Sole chickpea with 20 kg N ha". The results revealed that 15

showed better performance than the other intercropped treatments and sole crops in respect of total grain yield and economic benefit. From the economic point of view, the sole crops showed the lowest performance. Maximum grain yield of maize (4506 kg ha") and chickpea (1623 kg ha") were obtained in I and 1 7 . respectively. The highest maize equivalent yield (7664 kg ha") was found in Ts and the lowest in 12

(4192 kg ha"). The highest LER (1.70) was observed in T 5, which also gave maximum net return (91419 1k ha") with the maximum BCR (2.96) whereas; the lowest LER (1.37) was recorded in 1 4 in intercropping situation.