1Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi-284 128, Uttar Pradesh, India
2Department of Agronomy, VKS College of Agriculture, Bihar Agriculture University, Sabour, Dumraon-802 136, Bihar, India
3Department of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara-144 411, Punjab, India
*Corresponding Author: Umesh Kumar Singh, Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi-284 128, Uttar Pradesh, India, Email: 1999umesh8@gmail.com
Online published on 20 February, 2026.
Intercropping has potential to increase land productivity by leveraging species complementarities and a means to achieve sustainable agricultural intensification. The mustard intercropping with other crops significantly modified the competition parameters when compared to their comparable sole crops.
An experiment was carried out at Organic Research Farm, Karguaji, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, during Rabi 2021-22 to investigate the effect of mustard-based intercropping systems utilizing the skip-row method on efficiency indices under organic management. Nine treatments were investigated, including mustard, kabuli chickpea, field pea, fenugreek and desi chickpea as sole crops, mustard + kabuli chickpea, mustard + field pea, mustard + fenugreek and mustard + desi chickpea (1:2 ratio) in an intercropping system omitting one row of mustard.
Intercropping of mustard with desi chickpea showed positive trends in terms of efficiency indices with higher CGR (17.8 g.day-1cm-2), RGR (17.90 g.g-1.day-1), LER (1.64), MEY (26.7qha-1), CEY (25.87 qha-1) and ATER (1.64) which ultimately resulted in highest profitability (Rs 888 ha-1 day-1).
Efficiency indices, Intercropping systems, Mustard, Organic management
