Effect of intercropping wheat (triticum aestivum.L.) with mustard (brassica juncea) on yield and economics under organic system of cultivation

Abstract

Wheat is the most important food grain among the cereal grain crops. In India, wheat demand increases because of an increase in population and diet changes among the people.and wheat occupies 2nd place over the rice. The research was conducted with the aim of checking out the suitable row proportion while wheat was intercropped with mustard under different organic manures and biofertilizers. The field experiment was conducted at the farm of Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, on wheat (Triticum aestivum.L) intercropped with mustard (Brassica junecea.L) during the rabi season in the years 2020–2021. A split plot block design was used with three row proportions of wheat + mustard intercropping (3:1) (2:2) and sole wheat (the main crop),and four treatments of different manures and biofertilizers, and three replications. Based on the complete analysis of the experimental results, it is concluded. that different treatments affected the wheat + mustard intercropping, there was a significant increase in growth parameters, yield attributes, and yield. Among the geometries, G1 (sole wheat) showed good results in biological, economical, straw yield, and harvest index in M4 (vermicompost 5 t/ha + Azospirillum + PSB) in all geometries. There is no significant increase in harvest index in all geometries and treatments. Higher gross returns were absorbed in (3:1) wheat + mustard intercropping in the treatment (G3M4 Vermicompost 5t/ha + PSB + Azospirillum), and the highest net returns were increased was observed in Geometry 2 (2:2 wheat + mustard) of treatment no:3 (M3 poultry manure 5t/ha + PSB + Azospirillum). The highest benefit-cost ratio (2.27) was observed in Geometry 2 (2:2 wheat + mustard intercropping) of treatment M3 (poultry manure + azospirillum + psb)).Hence, research outcomes (2:2) of wheat + mustard intercropping by applying M3 poultry manure along with biofertilizers are beneficial to farmers.