Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, 641 003
A field experiment was conduted at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India during rainy (kharif) and winter (rabi) seasons of 2000–2003 under rainfed condition. The treatments included were combination of medium- and short-duration varieties (‘CO 13’ and ‘Co 11’) of finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] intercropped with medium- and short- duration varieties (‘CO 5’ and ‘VBN 1’) of pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]. These treatments were compared with sole crop of different varieties of fingar millet and pigeonpea. Finger millet ‘CO 11’ yielded higher than ‘CO 13’. In intercropping system, finger millet (‘CO 11’) recorded higher grain yield of 2,212 kg/ha with intercropping of ‘VBN 1’ pigeonpea. The highest net return and benefit: cost ratio were recorded with ‘Co 11’ finger millet intercropped with ‘VBN 1’ pigeonpea.
Finger millet, Pigeonpea, Cropping system, Grain equivalent yield, Net return, Benefit: cost ratio
