PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF RAIN-FED PEARL-MILLET (PENNISETUM GLAUCUM)-CASTOR (RICINUS-COMMUNIS) INTERCROPPING AT DIFFERENT FERTILITY LEVELS

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 1990 and 1 991 to study the production potential of rainfed pearl millet [Pennise tum glaucum (L.) R. Br. emend. Stuntz] + castor (Ricinus communis L.) intercropping at different levels of fertility. Data on castor-seed yi eld revealed that pearl miller for grain + castor gave better environm ent for castor to grow than pearl miller for fodder + castor. Sole cas tor, however. proved best for the individual yield whereas intercroppi ng of pearl millet for fodder + castor was the best for pearl millet-g rain-yield equivalent, followed by pearl millet for grain + castor. So le crop of castor was not found remunerative. Soil-fertility levels im proved the plant height. dry-matter accumulation, yield attributes and yield of pearl miller and castor linearly. Application of farmyard ma nure @ 10 tonnes/ha was found superior to the control only. Applicatio n of 2 bio-fertilizers, ie Azospirillum and vesicular arbuscular mycor rhiza, also showed favourable response in dry-matter accumulation and yield. In terms of pearl millet-grain-equivalent yield and gross retur n 40 kg N/ha + 8.80 kg P/ha proved statistically superior to 20 kg N/h a + 4.4 kg P/ha.