Effect of tillage practices, mulching and intercropping on rainfed maize (Zea mays) in foothill of Shivaliks, Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) season of 2017 and 2018 at Advanced Centre for Rainfed Agriculture, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, Dhianasr, Jammu and Kashmir to evaluate the effect of tillage, residue mulching and intercropping on nutrients, growth and yield of rainfed maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with 3 replications. The treatments included conventional tillage (CT), CT+ mulching (CTm), CT + intercropping with mash [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] (CTi), minimum tillage (MT), MT + mulching (MTm), MT + intercropping with mash (MTi), MT + residue (MTr), zero tillage (ZT), ZT + mulching (ZTm) and ZT + residue (ZTr). The highest grain yield (3.01 t/ha) and yield attributes were recorded with minimum tillage + residue incorporation (MTr). However, the grain yield recorded in all the treatments were at par when equivalent yield of intercrop was taken. The intercropping of mash in maize sown by conventional tillage resulted in 34.3% reduction in grain yield of maize as compared to conventional tillage. The stover yield ranged from 5.65 to 7.93 t/ha and harvest index ranged from 23.8 to 32.5% in all the treatments was at par.