Effect of plant density and fertility levels of kharif groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) + pigeon pea (Cajanas cajan) intercropping system under red and laterite zone of West Bengal, India

A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2005 and 2006 to find out the plant density and fertility levels of kharif groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) – pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) intercropping system. Growing of groundnut as sole crop recorded higher pod yield (1490 kg ha−1) over groundnut in intercropping system. The highest pod yield (889 kg ha−1) of groundnut among the intercropping system was obtained with the treatment received 100 % of both RDF and plant density of groundnut and pigeon pea respectively. Which was closely followed by T9 (850 kg ha−1), T2 (846 kg ha−1), T11 (828 kg ha−1) and (825 kg ha−1) and they were statistically at par among each other. Growing of pigeon pea as sole crop recorded higher T10 grain yield (1584 kg ha−1) over pigeon pea in intercropping system. Among the intercropping system the maximum pigeon pea grain yield was found in T1 (1013kg ha−1) which was at par with T10 (978 kg ha−1), T11 (950 kg ha −1), T2 (946 kg ha−1), T9 (939 kg ha−1), and T5 (903 kg ha−1). Among the cropping systems, intercropping of groundnut with pigeon pea resulted in maximum groundnut equivalent yield (2155 kg ha−1) in T1. Among the intercropping systems, groundnut with pigeon pea in 4:2 row proportions with 100% both plant density and RDF in all the crops was most remunerative in respect of net return (Rs.28400) and economic return: cost ratio (2.85).