Maize and Soybean Intercropping under Various Levels of Soybean Seed Rates

Abstract

An experiment was conducted with an objective to study the land use efficiency and economic return in maize-soybean intercropping system under various seed rates of soybean. Intercropping significantly reduced the thousand grains weight and grain yield of soybean at all seed rates. Maize thousand grain weight and grains yield remained unaffected in intercropping. The relative yield total of maize and soybean was greater in intercropping than monoculture. The highest land equivalent ratio (LER) of 1.52, net income of Rs. 29978 ha-1 and BCR value (return per rupee invested) of Rs. 2.41 were obtained from intercrop maize soybean at soybean seed rate of 80 kg ha-1. Intercropped maize and soybean resulted in greater LER and higher economic returns as compared to monoculture at all seed rates of soybean. It could be concluded that soybean can successfully be intercropped with maize for an efficient use of land and higher economic return.