Yield and profitability of clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) as influenced by varieties and crop geometry in semi-arid climate of Andhra Pradesh

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) season of 2013–14 at Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, to evaluate the performance of promising clusterbean [Cyamposis tetragonolaba (L.) P. Taubert] varieties, viz. ‘RGC 1025’, ‘HGS 365’, ‘RGC 936’ and ‘RGC 1017’ and to standardize the crop geometry of clusterbean (30 cm × 7.5 cm, 30 cm × 10 cm, 37.5 cm × 10 cm and 45 cm × 10 cm). Variety ‘RGC 1025’ recorded higher number of clusters/plant, pods/plant, 1, 000-seed weight, seed yield, stalk yield, net returns and benefit: cost ratio than ‘RGC 936’, ‘RGC 1017’ and ‘HGS 365’. Sowing of clusterbean at 30 cm × 10 cm spacing recorded higher seed yield (575.4 kg/ha), net returns ( 10³×13.8/ha) and benefit cost ratio (1.63) compared to the other spacings. However, clusters/plant and pods/plant were higher under medium (37.5 cm × 10 cm) and wider spacing (45 cm × 10 cm). Among interactions, clusterbean varieties performed better under closer spacings, as the highest seed yield was recorded with ‘RGC 1025’ under 30 cm × 7.5 cm, followed by same variety (‘RGC 1025’) at 30 cm × 10 cm and ‘RGC 936’ at 30 cm × 7.5 cm spacing. To get higher yield and monetary return under semi-arid environment, clusterbean variety ‘RGC 1025’ may be adopted with narrow crop geometries, viz. 30 cm × 7.5 cm and 30 cm × 10 cm spacing.