EFFECT OF FERTILITY IN PIGEONPEA (CAJANUS-CAJAN) PLUS SESAME (SESAMUM-INDICUM) INTERCROPPING SYSTEM UNDER RAIN-FED CONDITIONS

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season from 1988 to 1989 on clay-loam soil at Arjia in Rajasthan, to find out the optimum dose of fertilizer for pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] + sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) intercropping system under dryland conditions. A pplication of full recommended dose of fertilizer to both the componen t crops in pigeonpea + sesame intercropping system significantly incre ased the growth attributes (plant height and dry-matter yield/plant), yield attributes (number of pods/plant, number of seeds/plant and seed yield/plant), seed and stover yields of both the component crops, and number of branches/plant and 1,000 seed weight of pigeonpea (main cro p) over all other lower doses of fertilizer applied. The maximum pigeo npea-equivalent yield (17.22 q/ha), gross returns (Rs 12,329/ha) and n et returns (Rs 8,290/ha) were recorded when full recommended fertilize r dose (on actual area basis) was applied to both the component crops of the system.