EFFECT OF CONTOUR-STRIP CROPPING OF PINEAPPLE (ANANAS-COMOSUS) ON RICE (ORYZA-SATIVA) SESAME (SESAMUM-INDICUM) AND MAIZE (ZEA-MAYS) SESAME CROPPING SEQUENCES AND THEIR EFFECT ON SOIL PROPERTIES

A field experiment was conducted at Diphu in the 25% hill slope with a verage annual rainfall 1 236 min, to know the utility of pineapple [An anas comosus (L.) Merr.] as contour crop just above the main crop in i ncreasing the total productivity of rice (Oryza sativa L.) - sesame (S esamum indicum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) - sesame cropping sequences . The rice - sesame sequence when raised with pineapple-contour strip at the top recorded the highest rice-equivalent yield, showing 23% mor e yield than that without pineapple - contour strip. Rice - equivalent yield obtained through pineapple-contour strip at the top of the main crop and that at the top and bottom were almost identical and statist ically at par. Pineapple-contour strip above the main crop prevented t he run-off and loss of nutrients particularly of N and K, and contribu ted to higher residual soil pH, organic matter as well as available N and K.