Influence of land configurations on growth, yield and profitability of mustard and chickpea intercropping systems under organic management in Bundelkhand

Field experiment was conducted involving eight treatments during Rabi season 2018-19 at Bundelkhand University Campus, Jhansi India. The various metrics were significantly higher in the different inter-cropping systems of mustard + chickpea among row ratios. The plant height of the mustard increased up to 199.9 cm in the 2:1 ratio of mustard (SLB) + chickpea (R). Highest plant fresh 240.3 g and dry weights 58.7 g were achieved in the 1:1 ratio of mustard (F) + chickpea (R). The linked crops mustard (LB) + chickpea (UB) in a 2:2 ratio produced 725 capsules, 16.37 seeds per capsule, and 6.98 g of weight per 1000 seeds, respectively. On individual crop basis highest seed yield of mustard (31.41 q ha^-1) and chickpea (20.21 q ha^-1) was obtained when crops were sown alone on FB mustard grown in furrows (F) +chickpea on broad beds (BB) in ratio of 1:3 under Broad bed and furrow system gave highest mustard equivalent yield, chickpea equivalent yield, land equivalent ratio, gross returns (ha^-1), net returns (ha^-1), benefit cost ratio and profitability. In terms of land equivalent ratio (1.50), intercropping mustard (F) and chickpea (BB) in a ratio of 1:3 was more productive than seeding chickpea and mustard in solo stands.