Effect Of Intercropping System Of Maize/Black Gram In Surkhet Valley, Nepal

Maize (Zea mays L.), the queen of cereals, is planted with wide spacing and so it offers the scope of intercropping. Considering the benefits of cereal-legume association, an experiment on Maize/ Black Gram intercropping system was conducted during the summer season of 2022 at Shree Nepal Rashtriya Chandraganga Secondary School, Karnali province, Surkhet District. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design split into three blocks, each with seven plots and treatments were comprised of seven cropping systems, namely, T1: Maize/ black gram in additive series, T2: Maize/ black gram in replacement series, T3: Maize + Black Gram (1:2), T4: Maize + Black gram (1:1), T5: Maize + Black Gram (2:2), T6: Sole maize (Zea mays) and T7: Sole black gram (Vigna mungo L.). Line sowing of Arun-2 maize was done with a spacing of 60 cm × 25 cm in sole maize. A Khajura Mash-1 variety of black gram was sown with 25 cm × 10 cm spacing. As per the treatments, single and double rows of intercrops were taken in between maize. The result indicated that intercropped legumes improved the yield components of maize and offered some bonus yield. The maximum maize grain yield (2258 kgha-1) was noted with sole maize and sole black gram (793kgha-1). It was followed by Maize/Black gram with 1:2 ratios (2031 kgha-1) and (703 kgha-1) respectively. The intercropping combination of maize + black gram (1:2) recorded the highest net return having benefit-cost ratio of 1.76. Similarly, the lowest maize grain yield (1718 kg ha-1) and (476kgha-1) was noted with Maize + Black gram in the replacement series. But the lowest benefit cost was recorded at 1.37 in Maize/ Black gram (2:2). Intercropping had a significant effect on all treatments and was best performed in maize and black gram (1:2) treatment at Surkhet condition.