Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during 1980-82 at the experimental farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Coimbatore. to study the possibility of raising intercrops in lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) and the effect of N and P application. The treatments consisted of pure lucerne, pure fodder maize, pure grain maize and lucerne plus fodder maize/grain maize association. To the mixed stand, nine combinations of three levels each of N and P (0 30 and 60 kg N/ha 0, 12.5 and 25 kg P,O,/hu) to maize fodder crop. (0, 60 and 120 kg N/ha and 0.30 and 60 kg P,0./ha) to grain maize were applied. Lucerne + fodder maize association produced 45.9 and 37.7 per cent higher total DMP/yeer than pure lucerne and pure fodder maize respectively. Lucerne + grain maize stand resulted in 30.9 per cent higher DMP/year then pure lucerne The reduction in the total DMP/year in lucerns+grain maize stand is only 4 per cent as compared to pure grain maize.

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