Energetics, Productivity and Profitability of Soybean (Glycine max)-Based Intercropping Systems under Different Planting Patterns

Background: Intercropping is an effective tool to enhance productivity, biodiversity and stability of the fragile agro-ecosystem. In the era of shrinking resources, intercropping based on pulse crops like soybean can play an important role in crop diversification as well as agricultural sustainability. But, the information on soybean based intercropping systems is limited and needs to be explored for north-west India. Methods: A field experiment was conducted during kharif seasons of 2015 and 2016 to evaluate the effect of different soybean based intercropping systems under different planting patterns on productivity, profitability and energetics. Soybean crop was planted as sole as well as in intercropping systems viz., soybean (45 cm) + mung bean (1:1), soybean (45 cm) + cowpea fodder (1:1), soybean (45 cm) + groundnut (1:1), soybean (45 cm) + maize fodder (1:1) , soybean (60 cm) + mash (1:1), soybean (60 cm) + mung bean (1:2), soybean (60 cm) + cowpea fodder (1:2), soybean (60 cm) + groundnut (1:2), soybean (60 cm) + maize fodder (1:2) and soybean (60 cm) + maize (grain) (1:1). Result: The pooled results over two years elucidated that soybean equivalent yield was affected significantly by different intercropping systems. Soybean (45 cm) + groundnut (1:1) produced the highest soybean equivalent yield and it was significantly better than all other systems except soybean (60 cm) + groundnut in 1:2 row ratio. Similar trend was followed by production efficiency. Both, soybean (45 cm) + groundnut (1:1) and soybean (60cm) + groundnut (1:2) systems produced significantly higher energy productivity as compared to sole soybean. The highest gross (Rs. 98185 /ha) and net returns (Rs. 56122/ha) were obtained in soybean (45 cm) + groundnut (1:1) intercropping system whereas the highest benefit cost ratio was obtained in soybean (60 cm) + maize fodder (1:2) system.