EFFECT OF INTERCROPPING CHICKPEA WITH SUNFLOWER UNDER DIFFERENT ROW AND SPACING ARRANGEMENTS

Abstract

The experiment was conducted to find out the effect of intercropping chickpea with sunflower under different row and spacing arrangements at the experimental field of Agronomy Department of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka- 1207, during the period from November 2008 to March 2009. Seeds of sunflower variety DS-1 (Kironi) and Chickpea variety BARI-Chola-5 used as a test crop for the study. The experiment consisted of nine row arrangement combinations of sunflower and chickpea plus sole treatment of both the crops. The row arrangement of sunflower were recommended as 50 cm apart, paired rows 30 cm apart followed by 70 cm gap; and paired rows 30 cm apart followed by 100 cm gap. Within these were three row arrangements, 1-4 rows of chickpea at different spacing which altogether made nine treatment combinations. Results revealed that soil moisture, light intensity, growth parameters, yield attributes and yield, land equivalent ratio, soil pH and N, P. K had significant differences. The maximum soil moisture (30.11-35.20%) was recorded when two rows of chickpea were sown 40 cm apart in 70 cm gap of sunflower paired rows. svhile the minimum (25.10-27.60%) in the sole sunflower plots. The highest LER (1.76) was recorded from T 5 and the lowest LER from the sole crop both sunflower and chickpea. The highest equivalent yield (BY) of sunflower (3.81 t haj was recorded from T 5 and the lowest (2.09 t hi') from the sole crop of chickpea. The highest EY of chickpea (4.39 t haj was recorded from T5 and the lowest (2.57 t hi') from the sole crop of sunflower. The highest combined yield of sunflower and chickpea (4.08 t hi') was recorded from T 5 and the lowest (2.23 t hi') from the sole crop of sunflower. The highest benefit cost ratio (3.52) was recorded from 'f s and the lowest (1.49) from the sole crop of chickpea.