Growth and Yield of Intercrops under Drumstick (Moringa oleifera) based Agroforestry System
Kavita Kumari *
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Faculty of Forestry, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand-834006, India.
M.S. Malik
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Faculty of Forestry, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand-834006, India.
P.R. Oraon
Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry, Faculty of Forestry, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Jharkhand-834006, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
A field experiment on intercrops under Drumstick in Rabi season of 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 was carried out at experimental site in the Agroforestry field at Ranchi Veterinary College, Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi, Kanke Ranchi district of Jharkhand, India which is the plain region of Chotanagpur plateau of Jharkhand. The experimental plots were laid out in randomized block design, sole farming and Moringa based Agroforestry system. Growth and yield attributes of like plant height, number of leaves, Plant population, No. of Primary branches, Length of siliqua, No. of seeds/siliqua, Total root length, Root tips 30 DAS, Days of 50% flowering, Days to 75% maturity were found higher in sole farming than when intercropped with Moringa in rabi season of 2020-21, 2021-22 and in pooled data. The yield characters of Rabi crops, such as grain yield, straw yield, biological yield and harvest index was maximum in Sole Wheat was 25.32, 23.17, 24.25 and 67.33, 68.14, 67.73 and 92.65, 91.32, 91.98 in 2020-21, 2021-22 and in pooled data respectively, while minimum in Moringa + Mustard, it was 6.16, 7.06, 6.61 and 15.01, 15.75, 15.38 and 21.17, 22.82, 21.99 in 2020-21, 2021-22 and in pooled data respectively.
Keywords: Moringa, rabi, intercropping, agroforestry system