Production potential of finger millet and Frenchbean intercropping under rainfed conditions of Uttarakhand

Abstract

In order to find out the best combination of finger millet + Frenchbean intercropping system and nutrient management practices under rainfed conditions, an experiment was laid out in spilt plot design with three replications during 2007 and 2008 with various intercropping combinations in main plot and fertilizer levels in sub plot. Among the intercropping systems, finger millet + Frenchbean (3:1) gave significantly highest grain (21.61 and 27.30 q/ha during 2007 and 2008, respectively) than the sole crop of finger millet (16.85 and 17.77 q/ha during 2007 and 2008, respectively). Among the treatments tried, application of recommended dose of NPK gave significantly higher grain yields (21.59 and 22.46 during 2007 and 2008, respectively) followed by Vermicompost + wild apricot cake (50% N from each source) + seed inoculation (20.63 and 21.28 q/ha during 2007 and 2008, respectively) which was at par with recommended dose of NPK. NMR and B: C ratio was also higher with finger millet + Frenchbean (3:1) intercropping. The study suggested that introducing a new crop like Frenchbean as intercrop with finger millet along with vermicompost + wild apricot cake (50% N from each source) + seed inoculation can increase the production of finger millet + Frenchbean intercropping and it will also improve the socio-economic condition of the farmers as Frenchbean is used as a cash crop in the mid hills of North-West Himalaya.