The performance of cultivars of pearl millet and clusterbean under sole cropping and intercropping systems in arid zone conditions in India

Intercropping of pearl miller (Pennisetum glaucum) with clusterbean (Cyamop sis tetragonoloba) is a common practice in the arid zone of northwestern In dia. Field experiments were conducted for two years to examine the performa nce of two contrasting genotypes of each of these crops grown both as sole crops and as intercrops using all possible genotypic combinations of the pe arl miller with the clusterbean. The seed yields of both crops were always lower in intercropping than in sole cropping, though the degree of reductio n in the seed yield of each intercrop component was influenced greatly by t he genotype of its companion crop. The seed yield of both clusterbean genot ypes was reduced more when intercropped with the tall and late-maturing pea rl miller, MH 179, than with the medium-statured and early-maturing HHB 67. On the other hand, the two clusterbean cultivars had similar effects on in tercropped pearl miller. As a result, the highest land equivalent ratios (L ERs) were obtained with intercrops containing pearl miller HHB 67 rather th an MH 179, while the genotype of clusterbean had little overall effect on L ER. The results obtained are discussed in the context of developing cultiva rs for intercropping.