EFFECT OF MAIZE-LEGUMES INTERCROPPING ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MAIZE

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka during the period from October-2021 to February-2022 in Rabi season, to study the effect of maize-legumes intercropping on growth and yield of maize. The experiment consisted of single factors, and followed Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Four intercropping systems viz: T 1 = sole hybrid maize, T = hybrid maize + soybean, T 3 = hybrid maize + grasspea and T 4 2 = hybrid maize + soybean + grasspea were used in this study. Significant differences in maize growth, yield attributes and yields were found among the various intercropping systems. The highest plant height of maize (223.11 cm), total dry matter plant -1 (186.93 g), cob length (16.27 cm), cob diameter (5.03 cm), number of rows cob -1 (15.99), number grains cob -1 (420.66), grain weight plant -1 (109.19 g), 100-grain weight (23.42 g) were observed in T (sole hybrid maize cropping). However, the highest systematic grain yield (9.37 t ha 1 -1 ), systematic stover yield (17.11 t ha -1 ) and systematic biological yield (26.48 t ha -1 ) were observed in T

(maize + soybean + grasspea) treatment, while the lowest systematic grain yield (7.97 t ha -1 ), systematic stover yield (11.77 t ha -1 ) and systematic biological yield (19.74 t ha ) were observed in T (sole maize). In terms of economic return, the highest benefit-cost ratio (BCR) was observed in T 1 (maize + soybean + grasspea), while the lowest benefitcost ratio (BCR)

was observed in T 4 (sole hybrid maize cropping). Therefore, the result suggested that maize + soybean + grasspea intercropping system was found to be the best intercropping system for higher grain production.