EFFECT OF SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT AND PHOSPORUS FERTILIZATION IN PIGEONPEA (CAJANUS CAJAN)-SOYBEAN (GLYCINE-MAX) INTERCROPPING SYSTEM

A 2-year experiment was conducted on a clayey deep Vertisols of Bhopal to study tile effect of row ratios and phosphorus fertilization on pi geonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]-soybean [Glycine max (L.) (Men.)] intercropping system. At 120 cm row spacing higher, number of branche s, grains/pod and yield were recorded in sole cropping compared with i ntercropping systems. Among intercropping, 1 : 3 ratio gave significan tly higher number of branches, pods, grains/pod, 1,000-grain weight an d grain yield than 1 : 1 ratio, and pigeonpea-yield equivalent increas ed by 31.6 and 35.3% over 1 : 1 ratio and sole pigeonpea at 60 cm row spacing respectively. The highest land-equivalent ratio (1.39), moneta ry yield advantage (Rs 6,712/ha/a) and benefit : cost ratio of 2.8 wer e recorded at 1 : 3 row ratio, followed by 1 : 2 row ratio (27.5% high er pigeonpea-grain-yield equivalent over sole pigeonpea at 60 cm row s pacing). Consumptive water use and water-use efficiency also increased with intercropping at higher row ratios of 1 : 2 and 1 : 3. Increase in the dose of 30 kg to 90 kg P2O5/ha resulted in increase of grain yi eld of both pigeonpea and soybean. The pigeonpea-grain-yield equivalen t was increased by 28.2%, the water-use efficiency by 7.7 kg/ha-cm, ne t profit by Rs 5,733/ha and benefit: cost ratio by 3.45.