PERFORMANCE OF VARIOUS CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR PRODUCTION POTENTIAL AND ECONOMIC-FEASIBILITY IN VERTISOL-OF-VINDHYAN PLATEAU OF MADHYA-PRADESHUNDER RAIN-FED CONDITION

An experiment was conducted during 1990-93 to find out the most profit able cropping system suited to rainfed situation Among the cropping sy stems, intercropping 2 rows of short-duration 'Pb 1' soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] between rows of 'JA 4' pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) M illsp.] was most productive and remunerative (Rs 13 303/ha), followed by 2:4 and 3:6 intercropping system of pigeonpea + soybean and pigeonp ea sole. soybean-equivalent yield (2 751 kg/ha) and pigeonpea-equivale nt yield (1 926 kg/ha), aggressivity (0.105), relative crowding coeffi cient (10.0), land-equivalent ratio (1.71), monetary advantage index ( 3 300) and mean yield index of soybean (80.4) and pigeonpea (90.9) wer e also higher in 1:2 row arrangement Intercropping system however, pro ved better than double cropping, as the latter needs higher cost of ma nagement and lacks soil moisture at 0-15 cm depth (8.9%) on receipt of deficient rains beyond October, precluding the sowing of winter crops .