Effect of Mulches on Production Potential, Economics and Soil Fertility Status of Maize + Pigeonpea Intercropping under Rainfed Conditions of Eastern Ghats, Orissa

Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of application of mulches viz. maize stover, biomass from pruned cassia, biomass from pruned glyricidia and thomless mimosa in between rows of pigeonpea after harvest of maize in maize + pigeonpea (2:2) intercropping during 2000–01 to 2003–04 at Phulbani, Orissa. Pigeonpea cv. Asha (ICPL 87 119) and maize cv. Navjot were taken as the test crops. Mulches influenced seed yield of pigeonpea significantly during 2001–02 and 2003–04. Maize stover mulch recorded the maximum seed yield of pigeonpea closely followed by thronless mimosa. Considering the system performance, thornless mimosa gave the maximum maize grain equivalent yield of 44.15 q ha⁻¹ (29% increase over control) closely followed by maize stover mulch with maize grain equivalent yield of 41.98 q ha⁻¹ (23% increase over control). Considering economics maize stover mulch gave the maximum net return of Rs. 4908 ha⁻¹ followed by thornless mimosa mulch with net return of Rs. 4163 ha⁻¹. Application of mulches increased soil pH, organic carbon, EC, total N, available P and available K as compared to no mulch.