Effect of Preceding Intercrops in BT Cotton on The Productivity of Succeeding Wheat Crop and Total System Productivity

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different intercrops and row ratio on the growth, yield and quality of hybrid Bt cotton and effect of preceding intercrops in Bt cotton on the productivity of succeeding wheat crop and total system productivity. The results showed that different yield attributes, grain and straw yield of wheat were not significantly affected by different intercrops, though numerically higher wheat yield was obtained, where it was sown after legume intercrops viz. Bt cotton + cowpea fodder or Bt cotton + summer moong intercropping systems, as compared to that after sole Bt cotton and Bt cotton intercropped with other non legume intercrops viz. maize fodder, Bajra fodder and long melon etc. During 2010–11 crop season, all the intercropping systems except Bt cotton+ Bajra fodder-wheat and Bt cotton + long melon-wheat system recorded significantly higher total system productivity as compared to sole Bt cotton-wheat system. However, during 2011–12 crop season, intercropping systems like Bt cotton + maize fodder-wheat and Bt cotton + cowpea fodder-wheat system recorded significantly higher total system productivity as compared to sole Bt cotton-wheat system, Bt cotton + summer moong-wheat, Bt cotton + Bajra fodder-wheat and Bt cotton+ long melon-wheat systems. The land use efficiency in Bt cotton-wheat and Bt cotton based intercropping system-wheat varied from 93 to 96 percent as compared to 59–63 percent in sole crop-wheat based systems. With the introduction of legumes as sole or intercrop component, soil N status either improved or it remained same as initial status of the soil.