Inter/mixed cropping of lentil (Lens culinaris) in late-sown wheat (Triticum aestivum) for higher productivity and profitability of wheat in Vertisols of Central India

A field experiment was carried out the during winter (rabi) seasons of 2012–13 and 2013–14 at Research Farm of ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Regional Station, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to study the performance of different inter and mixed cropping systems of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) in late-sown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Treatments tested were wheat sole, lentil sole, wheat (line sowing) + lentil (50% seed broadcast), wheat (broadcast) + lentil (line sowing), wheat + lentil (mixed sowing of 100% seed rates), wheat + lentil (mixed sowing of 50% seed rates), wheat + lentil (1: 1 row ratio), wheat+ lentil (2: 1 row ratio), wheat + lentil (2: 2 row ratio) and wheat + lentil (3: 1 row ratio). Pooled over data of 2 years indicated that grain and biological yields (5.87 and 14.8 t/ha) recorded with wheat (line sowing) + lentil (broadcast), which being substantially higher to the tune of 4.45 and 3.35% over wheat sole in addition to a bonus yield of 40 kg lentil/ha were significantly higher than rest of the treatments. The same treatment also recorded the highest values of number of fertile tillers/m² (461.1/m²), length of spike (9.55 cm), number of spikelets/spike (16.8), total N uptake (169.6 kg/ha), wheat-equivalent yield (5.96 t/ha), land-equivalent ratio (1.07), aggressivity index (1.01), sustainability-yield index (0.96), production efficiency (47.5 kg/ha/day), monetary return-use efficiency (443.6/ha/day), net returns (55.7 thousands/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (2.65). However, relative crowding coefficient (73.6) and total protein yield were observed with wheat + lentil (3: 1 row ratio) and lentil sole respectively.