MAIZE (ZEA MAYS)-BASED INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS WITH PULSES UNDER RAIN-FED CONDITION

An experiment was conducted during rainy season of 1990-91 and 1991-92 to find out the best legume intercrops with maize (Zea mays L.) with appropriate row combination for Vertisol of north-western Madhya Prade sh. 'H 405' maize, 'JS 72-44' soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.], 'T9' bl ackgram (Phaseolus mungo L.) and 'ICPL 87' pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L .) Millsp.] were tested in a monoculture and intercropping systems wit h 3 ratios (2:2, 2:4 and 4:2). Maize + soybean was better than maize blackgram combination for yield and competitive parameters. No signif icant difference was observed among maize + soybean ratios of 2:2, 2:4 and 4:2 for seed yield, biomass yield, maize-equivalent yield and lan d-equivalent ratio, but 2:2 ratio gave comparatively better monetary a dvantage than 4:2 ratio. Similar trend was observed for all maize + pi geonpea in 2:2 ratio gave better intercrop yield, biomass yield, maize -equivalent and monetary advantage than 4:2 ratio. Maximum competitive ratio of 1.764 for maize was observed in maize + pigeonpea in 2:4 rat io. Highest maize-equivalent yield of 6.115 tonnes/ha was recorded by pigeonpea, followed by soybean (5.453) and blackgram (3.341) compared with 3.220 tonnes/ha by maize. Maize was dominant to soybean and black gram, whereas pigeonpea was dominant to maize in different cropping sy stems. In Vertisol maize + pigeonpea in 2:2 ratio was more advantageou s, as reflected by different yield, monetary advantage and competitive parameters, except maize-equivalent yield which was at par with sole pigeonpea crop.