Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy seasons of 1984 and 1985 to study the effect of intercrops on nodulations, growth, nitrogen content and pod- yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L) Tall growing cereal intercrops viz. pearl. millet and corn significantly affected the nodulation, plant growth and n trogen cont- ent of plants at pod filling stage (75 days.) while no such effects were, observed during the initial stages of crop growth. The above traits were unaffected when groundnut was grown in combination with sesamum, sunflower, soyabean and cowpea. The pod yield was also significantly reduced under cereal intercropping as compared to sole crop of groundnut. The observed effects were ascribed to retarded photosynthetic activity due to shading created by tall growing cereal crops on the groundnut crop canopy.

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