Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-jtdwj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T05:58:21.763Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Sorghum-pigeonpea intercropping and the effects of plant population density

1. Growth and yield

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

M. Natarajan  and
R. W. Willey
M. Natarajan
Affiliation:
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICBISAT), Patancheru 502 324, A.P., India
R. W. Willey
Affiliation:
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICBISAT), Patancheru 502 324, A.P., India
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

An intercropping experiment is described in which three plant population densities of an early sorghum (82 days) were factorially combined with three plant population densities of a later-maturing pigeonpea (173 days) in a standard 2 sorghum:1 pigeonpea row arrangement. Sorghum growth was not affected by the presence of pigeonpea, and the farmers' primary objective of maintaining a ‘full’ sorghum yield was achieved if the density of the intercropped sorghum was equivalent to the sole crop optimum.

The spatial distribution of roots after 30 and 60 days of growth did not appear to be altered by intercropping, and roots of the two crops were found to intermingle freely.

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 95 , Issue 1 , August 1980 , pp. 51 - 58
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Baldwin, J. P., Tinker, P. B. & Nye, P. H. (1972). Uptake of solutes by multiple root systems from soil. II. The theoretical effects of rooting density and pattern on uptake of nutrients from soil. Plant and Soil 36, 693–708.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fisher, N. M. (1976). Experiments with maize–bean and maize–potato mixed crops in an area with two short seasons in the highlands of Kenya. In Symposium on Intercropping in Semi-Arid Areas (Proceedings), Morogoro, Tanzania, 10–12th 05.Google Scholar
Freyman, S. & Venkateswarlu, J. (1977). Intercropping on rainfed red soils of the Deccan Plateau, India. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 57, 697–705.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International Rice Research Institute (1972). Multiple cropping. Annual Report for 1972, pp. 21–34. Los Banos, Philippines.Google Scholar
Natarajan, M. & Willey, R. W. (1980). Sorghum pigeonpea intercropping and the effects of plant population density. 2. Resource use. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 95, 59–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newman, E. I. (1966). A method of estimating the total length of root in a sample. Journal of Applied Ecology 3, 139–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osiru, D. S. O. & Willey, R. W. (1972). Studies on mixtures of dwarf sorghum and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) with particular reference to plant population. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 79, 531–540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raper, C. D. & Barber, S. A. (1970). Rooting systems of soybeans. Agronomy Journal 67, 581–584.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whittington, W. J. & O'Brien, T. A. (1968). A comparison of yields from plots sown with a single species or mixture of grass species. Journal of Applied Ecology 5, 209–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Willey, R. W. (1979). Intercropping – its importance and research needs. Part 1. Competition and yield advantages. Part 2. Agronomy and research approaches. Field Crop Abstracts 32 (1), 1–10, 32 (2), 73–85.Google Scholar
Willey, R. W. & Osiru, D. S. O. (1972). Studies on mixtures of maize and beans (Phaseolus vulgaria) with particular reference to plant population. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 79, 519–529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar