AGRONOMIC APPROACHES FOR PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT OF UPLAND RICE-BASED INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS UNDER STRIP PLANTATION

In a field study conducted for two consecutive years on a sandy-clay loam soil at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, the comparative agro-economic performance of different upland rice-based intercropping systems was investigated in upland environment. The intercropping systems comprised rice + forage maize, rice + sesbania, rice + mungbean, rice + ricebean, rice + cowpea, rice + pigoenpea and rice alone. The base rice crop was direct-seeded in 75 cm spaced 4-row strips (15/75 cm) and the forage intercrops were seeded on the vacant space between the rice strips. The results revealed that although the rice grain yield was reduced by 10.94 to 25.87% by different forage intercrops but in terms of total rice grain yield equivalent, all the intercropping systems gave 16.42 to 37.67 % higher grain yield than the monocropped rice. Similarly the net field benefits obtained from different intercropping systems were considerably higher than the sole cropping of rice. The maximum net benefit of RS.42325 ha' was recorded for rice + maize followed by rice + cowpea (Rs.30885 ha') compared to the minimum of RS.26526 ha' in case of monocropping of rice. Whereas almost similar net field benefits ha' were achieved from rice + ricebean, rice + pigeon pea, rice + mung bean and rice + sesbania which varied from RS.28855 to 29625 ha'.