Studies on yield, land equivalent ratio and crop performance rate in maize-mungbean intercropping

A field experiment was conducted on maize-mungbean intercropping to assess the yield advantage from the viewpoint of growth process, Three maize densi ties (75 X 50, 75 X 30, 75 X 15 cm(2)) were intercropped with mungbean one row between maize rows. Intercropping did not affect the maize yield, but t he yields of mungbean were greatly affected. The maximum and minimum yields of iiiungbean were obtained in a mungbean monoculture plot and mungbean in tercropped with a high-density maize plot, respectively. The leaf photosynt hetic rate of maize in different plots was insignificant. That of mungbean, however, was significantly affected, and it decreased under the higher den sity plot. The total dry matter production in per unit area increased due t o intercropping. The crop growth rate (CGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) of maize were highest in the low-density plot and total the CGR and NAR we re also highest in the low-density plot at later stages of growth. Land equ ivalent ratios (LER) were higher than 1.0 in all intercrop plots and crop p erformance ratio (CPR) was higher than 1.0 only in low-density plot. The hi ghest LER (1.79) and CPR (1.23) were observed in the low-density plot.