Intercropping of Compatible Crops with Pigeon Pea

Inter-cropping experiments conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi for two consecutive years of 1972 and 1973 revealed that it is feasible to grow various short duration kharif pulses like mung, urd and cow-pea in between the rows of pigeon pea and an additional income of about Rs 400–500/ha may be realised, although it will vary considerably, with the season and crop. Intercropping of soybean, however, could not show any promise in the present study because of low yields on account of its longer duration and high disease incidence. Maize and Jowar did not prove as ideal intercrops because of their shading effects on the pigeon pea as a result the growth of the latter was suppressed.