Productivity and Land Use Efficiency of Wheat- Lentil Intercropping under Two Tillage Practices

To feed the ever-increasing population, increase productivity per unit area is one of the most attractive strategies. Intercropping is considered a promising system for increasing crop productivity and land-use efficiency. A field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different crop combinations of wheat-lentil on the productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and lentil (Lens culinaris) and land use efficiency under two tillage practices in Minjar district during 2015-2017 cropping seasons. The experiment was carried out using split-plot design with three replications. The treatments consisted of two tillage practices (conventional and minimum tillage) assigned as the main plot and five wheat-lentil intercropping combinations (1:0, 1:1, 2:1, 1:2 and 0:1) assigned as the subplot. The tillage practices and intercropping had significant effect on growth parameters of wheat and lentil. Minimum tillage increased growth parameters for wheat, but reduced growth parameters for lentil. The yield of wheat was non-significantly affected by tillage practices, but the yield of lentil was significantly affected by tillage systems. A higher yield of lentil (1546 kgha- 1) was obtained in conventional tillage as compared to minimum tillage practices. Intercropping combination had a significant effect on both growth and yield parameters of both crops. The highest yield of wheat (2932 and 2982 kgha-1) was recorded in sole wheat (1:0) and 2:1 wheat-lentil combination, while the highest yield of lentil (1575 kgha-1) was obtained in sole lentil (0:1). Among intercropping combinations, 2:1 wheat-lentil gave the highest LER, ATER, and MAI values. Therefore, 2:1 wheat-lentil intercropping combinations were found suitable for higher productivity and production of component crops and the intercropping system of wheat-lentil in any of the combinations found to be more profitable and productive compared to sole wheat and lentil.