GROWTH AND ECONOMICS OF SOYBEAN AND MILLETS IN INTERCROPPING SYSTEMS

The field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station Bailhongal, Belagavi district under University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad (Karnataka) to study on growth and economics of soybean and millets in intercropping systems during kharif 2016. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications. Treatment details are as follows,T1 - Soybean + foxtail millet (2:1), T2 - Soybean + foxtail millet (4:2) , T3 - Soybean + finger millet (2:1), T4 - Soybean + finger millet (4:2) , T5 - Soybean + little millet (2:1), T6 - Soybean + little millet (4:2), T7 - Sole crop of soybean, T8 - Sole crop of foxtail millet, T9 - Sole crop of finger millet and T10 - Sole crop of little millet. The results concluded that, intercropping systems, higher total dry matter plant-1 of soybean was recorded in 4:2 row ratio of soybean + foxtail millet (17.0 g). It was on par with 2:1 row ratio of soybean + foxtail millet (16.17 g) and 2:1 row ratio of soybean + finger millet (15.40 g). Significantly lower total dry matter plant-1 was recorded in 2:1 row ratio of soybean + little millet in (14.40 g). Further, At 30 DAS, significantly higher total dry matter accumulation of millets was recorded in sole crop of foxtail millet (9.09 g) compared to their yield in intercropping systems. It was on par with 4:2 row ratio of soybean + foxtail millet (8.50 g) and 2:1 row ratio of foxtail millet (7.91 g). Significantly lower total dry matter plant-1 was recorded in intercropping of soybean + little millet in 4:2 row ratio (1.75 g). A similar trend of total dry matter accumulation in 30 cm row length of millets was also recorded at 60, 90 DAS and at harvest. With respect to economics, among the intercropping systems, significantly higher gross and net returns was recorded in 4:2 row ratio of soybean + foxtail millet (Rs. 96,403 ha-1 and Rs. 68,457 ha-1 respectively) and it was on par with 2:1 row ratios of soybean + foxtail millet (Rs. 94,724 ha-1 and (Rs. 66,779 ha-1 respectively). The lowest gross and net returns was recorded in 2:1 row ratio of soybean + little millet (`Rs. 82,199 ha-1 and ` Rs. 54,115 ha-1 respectively)