Role of In-situ Moisture Conservation and Cropping Systems on Maize Intercropping with Pigeonpea under Rainfed Conditions at Telangana State

Abstract

The study was conducted with an objective of assessing best practice of moisture conservation and profitability of the cropping system. The experiment was executed at Agricultural Research Station, Tornala, Siddipet (Dt), Telangana State for three years (kharif, 2016 - kharif, 2018). The trial was laid out in split plot design with three cropping systems as main plots Viz., sole maize (SM), maize + pigeon pea in 4: 1 ratio (MP) and sole pigeon pea (SP) and three sub plots were allotted with moisture conservation practices viz., ridge and furrow (RF), flatbed followed by making ridge at 25DAS (FBR) and flatbed followed by making conservation furrow at 25 DAS (FBCF) along with regular farmers practice, flatbed method (FB).The results revealed that, among different cropping systems sole pigeon pea (SP) recorded significantly higher maize equivalent yields and net returns (4340 kg ha-1and Rs.33926 ha-1) compared to sole maize (SM) (3268 kg ha-1 and Rs.15366 ha-1) and maize+ pigeon pea intercropping in1:4 ratio (MP) (4080 kg ha-1and Rs.25786 ha-1), whereas in case of moisture conservation methods ridge and furrow method (RF) recorded significantly higher maize equivalent yields in kg ha-1 (4253 kg ha-1and1Rs.26752 ha-1) followed by flatbed fb making conservation furrow at 25 DAS (FBCF) (4247 kg ha-1and Rs.30,042 ha-1) compared flatbed fb making ridges at 25 DAS (FBR) and flat bed. Ridge and furrow method could save more (26%) soil moisture among all the methods followed in the study.