1Department of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara-144 411, Punjab, India
*Corresponding Author: Gurpreet Singh, Department of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara-144 411, Punjab, India, Email: gurpreet.25331@lpu.co.in
Online published on 6 February, 2026.
Pigeon pea productivity can be influenced by planting geometry and mulching practices, which modulate resource use efficiency and plant architecture. Understanding the interaction between system intensification and mulching is essential for enhancing crop yield and optimizing plant growth in pigeon pea (AL-882).
A field trial was conducted using a split plot design comprising three planting geometries (40×20 cm, 60×20 cm, 80×20 cm) as main plots and four mulching treatments (wheat straw, sugarcane mulch, live mulch, and no mulch) as subplots. Agronomic and yield parameters were measured and subjected to correlation analysis to evaluate how plant structure traits and mulching influenced productivity.
Results revealed that 60×20 cm spacing produced 11.04% higher grain yield compared to the lowest yielding geometry, while wheat straw mulch increased grain yield by 17.92% over no mulch. Plant height showed a robust positive correlation with canopy spread (r = 0.983), branching, pod and grain number, pod length, test weight, grain, and biological yield (all p<0.01). Wider canopy spread and a greater number of branches correlated strongly with seed and biomass yields. Both grain yield and biological yield were highly correlated (r = 0.978, p<0.001), confirming that increased seed output boosts total biomass. Overall, optimal plant structure and reproductive traits integrated with appropriate intensification and mulching improved pigeon pea productivity.
Correlation matrix, Correlogram analysis, Kharif, Organic mulching, Pigeon pea, System of intensification, Yield
