Legume Research

Melia dubia is a promising tree species in industrial agroforestry and plantation systems across southern India and is popular for its fast growth and economic potential. Choosing a suitable intercrop for an agroforestry system determines the longevity and viability of the system. This study was carried out to explore the feasibility of cluster bean cultivars as an intercrop in Melia dubia-based agroforestry system.

A trial was conducted by comparing three cluster bean varieties such as, Sonali, Pusa Navbahar and MDU 1, under Melia dubia with three treatment conditions representing: open field conditions, as an understorey in three-year-old M. dubia and six-year-old M. dubia plantations.

In three-year-old Melia dubia plantation, the light intensity recorded by cluster beans was reduced to 78.12% (65,000 lumen per square metre) for MDU 1, 76.44% (63,600 lumen per square metre) for Pusa Navbahar and 74.51% (62,000 lumen per square metre) for Sonali when compared to the control and the pod yields for the three varieties were recorded as 10.15 t/ha, 9.28 t/ha and 7.86 t/ha, respectively. The benefit cost ratios of cluster bean varieties in three-year-old plantations were 1.43, 1.38 and 1.21, respectively. Overall, the yield attributing parameters such as flowers/cluster, pods/cluster, number of pods, pod length were greater in the MDU1 variety than in the other two varieties. Thus, intercropping cluster bean cv. MDU1 as an understorey in M. dubia plantations can maximize land utilization and yield the greatest returns.