Baby corn as an intercrop in pigeonpea cultivation for higher production potential and economic returns

An agronomic investigation was carried out to study the effects of nutrient management and planting geometry in pigeonpea + baby corn inter-cropping on production potential and economics of introducing baby corn as an intercrop in pigeon pea. The study was undertaken on the red sandy loam soil at experimental farm of College of Agriculture Navile, Shivamogga during Kharif season of agricultural years 2016 and 2017. The study encompassed 12 treatments, wherein first four treatments (T₁ to T₄) related to the sole cropping of pigeonpea at different plant geometry, next 6 treatments (T₅ to T₁₀) were intercropping of pigeonpea with baby corn at varying rate of spacing and fertilizer level; and the last two treatments (T₁₁ to T₁₂) pertained to sole cropping of baby corn with different spacing levels. The data were analyzed using standard analysis of variance procedures (ANOVA), and concept of critical difference (CD) at 5% probability level was used to compare all treatment means. The advantage of intercropping system was evaluated by using different criterions such as Pigeon Equivalent Yield (PEY), System Biological Yield, Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), and Monetary Advantage Index (MAI). The study found that, among different treatments undertaken, the highest grain yield of pigeonpea was noticed in sole pigeonpea in paired row of 60-120-60 cm x 30cm (2494 kg ha^-1). Further, sole pigeonpea cropping with a spacing of 30 cm x 30cm treatment (T₂) emerged as the significant treatment by registering the highest stalk yield of 8064 kg/ha. The baby corn sown at the spacing of 45 x 20 cm (T₁₂) recorded significantly higher baby yield (4190 kg ha^-1) followed by spacing of 60 x 20 cm (3834 kg ha^-1). The pigeonpea (60-120-60 cm x 30 cm) intercropping with baby corn (30 x 30 cm) receiving respective RDF of crops showed significantly higher green fodder yield of 18,945 kg ha^-1 over other cropping systems. Among different intercropping treatments undertaken, intercropping with RDF applied to corresponding component crops based on plant population treatment (T₆) had the highest Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) value (1.64) and Monetary Advantage Index (MAI) value of Rs.105208 ha^-1. Similarly, as compared to different intercropping treatments, treatment 6 (T₆) intercropping’s Pigeonpea Equivalent Yield (PEY) was more than 10 per cent higher than all the other intercropping systems PEY. Further, for every one rupee incurred, farmers realized the highest return of Rs.3.28 in case of intercropping treatment of pigeonpea (60-120-60 x 30 cm) + baby corn (30 x 30 cm) with respective RDF applied to both the component (T₆), while it was the least (Rs.2.24) in case of sole cropping of baby corn with spacing of 45 ×20 cm.