Differential competitive ability and growth habit of pearl millet and clusterbean cultivars in a mixed cropping system in the arid zone of India

Dryland sustainable agriculture in the arid zone of India depends upon the choice of suitable cultivars for pure and mixed crop stands. Field experime nts were conducted for two years to examine the response of two contrasting cultivars each of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) and clusterbean (Cyamo psis tetragonoloba) in pure stands and in mixed pearl millet-clusterbean st ands. The differential response of cultivars of both crops to pure and mixe d stands resulted in a significant genotype x cropping system interaction. Reduction in seed yield of both clusterbean cultivars was greater in mixed stands with tall and long duration pearl millet MH 179 than with medium sta tured and early maturing HHB 67. The degree of reduction was greater in Nav een, the branched clusterbean cultivar, than in RGC 197, the single stemmed cultivar. Mixing of pearl millet HHB 67 with medium duration clusterbean c ultivar Naveen produced maximum pearl millet equivalent total yield. Higher land equivalent ratios (LERs) were also observed when clusterbean cultivar s were mixed with early maturing and short statured pearl millet HHB 67.