Abstract

The red lateritic soil of Pudukottai district in Tamil Nadu is traditionally known for redgram belt. Instead of growing sole crop of redgram, intercropping of any short duration crop like blackgram would be more profitable. Intercropping is a viable agronomic practice for increasing the production as well as productivity of a system from a unit area during a cropping period. Intercropping system not only provides certain insurance against biotic and abiotic stresses but also provides extra yield advantage by simple means of growing crops (Willey, 1979). Planting geometry in intercropping system has important effects on the balance of competition between component crops and their productivity. Intercropping of sorghum with cowpea in paired rows (2:2) K.VELAYUDHAM National Pulses Research Centre, Vamban - 622 303, Tamil Nadu. recorded highest land equivalent ratio (2.77) and monetary return compared with other intercropping systems (Mishra et al., 1997). Hence, the study was conducted to investigate the suitable blackgram genotype and planting geometry for improving productivity of redgram + blackgram intercroping system

Keywords: blakgram, genotype