Mungbean (Vigna radiata) intercropping enhances productivity of late season irrigated cotton in Punjab

The aim of this study was to assess the option of intercropping mungbean (MB) in late season cotton to enhance productivity of the system. Mungbean was intercropped with cotton under two planting techniques practiced in Punjab for cotton sowing. Treatments consist of mungbean broadcast in 75 cm spaced drilled cotton rows (IS1), alternative rows of cotton and mungbean (IS2), two rows of mungbean between cotton rows (IS3) while in fourth treatment (IS4) two mungbean rows were sown on top of 105 cm wide double ridge-furrow (beds hereafter). Results showed that mungbean presence adversely affected the number of opened, total bolls plant-1, opened boll percentage and seed cotton yield in all intercropping systems. However in bed intercropping, cotton produced 21.84 % higher seed cotton yield than sole cotton. Alike, number of pods plant-1 and number of grains pod-1 of mungbean decreased in intercropping treatments compared to sole mungbean. On average, mungbean yield was 21.1 % less in intercropping treatments than sole mungbean. Yield advantage indicated by LER and ATER values was observed in all intercropping treatments except in IT3 where ATER suggested disadvantage. Highest LER (1.92) and ATER (1.58) were recorded in IS4. Aggressivity value indicates that bed structure favoured the cotton growth compared to mungbean. All intercropping systems showed positive values of system productivity index and monitory advantage index. This study concludes that productivity of late season cotton could be better enhanced by sowing two rows of mungbean on top of the 105 cm wide cotton beds.