COTTON (GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM)-BASED MULTIPLE CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINED YIELD

Seven rows of onion (Allium cepa L.) grown between 2 rows of 'Gouri' ( early) variety of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), planted at 15 0 cm x 15 cm instead of normal spacing of 75 cm x 30 cm, did not signi ficantly reduce seed-cotton yield. Bur 4 rows of either cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] or soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] reduced th e cotton yield significantly. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.) yield during winter season was higher when cowpea, greengram (Phaseolus radiatus L.), soybean and onion were the intercrops with c otton, and lower when preceded by cotton alone and cotton + chilli (Ca psicum annuum L.). The gross return was higher (Rs 37 109) with cotton + onion (rainy season) and wheat (winter) system compared with the us ual system of cotton (long duration)+ maize (Zea mays L.) (Rs 19 046) and of cotton and wheat (Rs 26 032). Yield also showed a similar behav iour. Cotton + onion during rainy season and wheat during winter prove d efficient system, giving an increase in agricultural production per unit area per unit time.