Evaluation of Pigeonpea Equivalent Yield and Intercropping Indices of Organically Cultivated Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) based Intercropping System

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) is the fifth most significant grain legume globally and ranks second in importance in India, following chickpea. Pigeonpea is an ideal base crop for intercropping with various cereal and pulse crops to enhance system productivity and soil health. This study aims to assess the performance of different pigeonpea based intercropping systems by computing PEY and various intercropping indices.

The field experiment was conducted on organically certified field at Organic Farming Research and Training Centre (OFRTC), MPKV, Rahuri, Ahilyanagar, (M.S.) during two consecutive kharif season of 2021–22 and 2022–23 to study the performance of different crops in pigeonpea based intercropping system in RBD design with 13 treatments replicated thricely. Intercropping indices of different systems were evaluated by using standard formulae.

The pooled data over two years of research revealed that among the various intercropping systems, Pigeonpea + Soybean (1:5) intercropping system was identified as the most effective system and was found significantly highest in respect to pigeonpea equivalent yield. It was at par with Pigeonpea + Greengram (1:5). Similarly, Pigeonpea + Soybean (1:5) intercropping system recorded higher values of different intercropping indices viz., land equivalent ratio, area time equivalent ratio, relative crowding coefficient, system productivity, production efficiency, price equivalent ratio, relative value total when compared to Sole Pigeonpea and other intercropping systems. However, Pigeonpea + Greengram (1:5) intercropping system was found comparable with Pigeonpea + Soybean (1:5) in terms of these intercropping indices on two years mean basis.