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IMPROVEMENT IN YIELD AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE BY CO-CROPPING OF WHEAT AND CHICKPEA

M. AKHTAR^*, M. YAQUB, Z. IQBAL, M.Y. ASHRAF, J. AKHTER AND F. HUSSAIN

Abstract: Soil fertility and organic matter in our soils are on decline. Legume intercropping and manuring are important measures to sustain fertility and enhance productivity of soil. Four wheat cultivars Inqlab-91, WL-886, 1076 & 41 grown in field either as mono crop or intercropped with chickpea (CM 88) were evaluated with respect to yield, nutrient (N & P) uptake, compatibility and profitability. Prior to establishment of experiment, soil was enriched by green manuring of vegetative biomass of legume cereal for the last two years to raise organic matter/nutrients contents sufficienctly for growing a crop without mineral fertilizer addition. In monoculture, wheat cultivar Inqlab-91 produced the maximum grain (3294 kg ha⁻¹) than other wheat lines (WL). In intercropping system, one hactare of land produced a maximum grain yield of WL-1076 (2456 kg ) along with additional chickpea grain yield (1302 kg) while an other association produced maximum grain yield of chickpea (1795 kg) along with additional wheat yield (2144 kg by Inqlab-91). Cumulative grain value (Rs. ha^-1) in intercropping culture was two times higher compared to that of wheat mono cropping. Associated crops accumulated significantly higher N in their biomass with a maximum of 87 kg ha⁻¹ (by Inqlab+chickpea), compared to a maximum of 58 kg ha⁻¹ by wheat (Inqlab-91) as mono culture. Phosphorus uptake by associated crops was also higher compared to wheat grown alone. The results clearly suggested superiority of wheat-chickpea co-cropping over wheat monoculture in terms of enhanced nutrient utilization, crop yield and farm income.

Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, Jhang Road, Faisalabad, Pakistan