Root and shoot studies of summer cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and baby corn (Zea mays) under intercropping system with different levels of fertility and stress-mitigating chemicals

Autor: ANJU BIJARNIA, J P TETARWAL, ARJUN LAL BIJARNIA
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2024
Předmět:
Zdroj: The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Vol 94, Iss 5 (2024)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 0019-5022
2394-3319
DOI: 10.56093/ijas.v94i5.132997
Popis: An experiment was conducted during summer seasons of 2019 and 2020 at College of Agriculture (Agriculture University, Kota), Ummedganj, Rajasthan, to study the root and shoot of summer cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] and baby corn (Zea mays L.) under intercropping system with different levels of fertility and stress-mitigating chemicals. The experiment was laid out in a split-split plot design with 4 replications having 30 treatment combinations with 5 intercropping systems [sole cowpea; sole baby corn; cowpea + baby corn (2:1); cowpea + baby corn (3:1); and cowpea + baby corn (4:1)] in the main plot and 3 fertility levels, viz. 100; 125; and 150% RDF (Recommended dose of fertilizer) in subplot and 2 stress mitigating chemicals (0.5% CaCl2 and 1% KNO3 at flowering and pod development stage of cowpea) in sub-sub plot. Results revealed significant increase in shoot weight, root weight, root-to-shoot ratio, cowpea equivalent yield (CEY) and number and dry weight of nodules in 2:1 row cowpea + baby corn intercropping system over other row ratios. The 2:1 row ratio significantly increased root:shoot ratio of cowpea by 20.9, 15.2, and 7.3% over sole cowpea, 4:1 and 3:1 row ratio, respectively, and resulted in the highest root-to-shoot ratio for baby corn, recording 18.3, 14.5, and 6.8% increase over sole baby corn, 4:1, and 3:1 row ratios of cowpea and baby corn, respectively. Further shoot weight, root weight, root:shoot ratio in cowpea and baby corn, CEY and the number and dry weight of nodules in cowpea exhibited a notable increase in 150% RDF as compared to lower fertility levels (100 and 125% RDF). Applying 150% RDF resulted in a significantly higher root:shoot ratio for both cowpea and baby corn, with increases of 11.3 and 4.5% over 100 and 125% RDF for cowpea, and 11.6 and 5.5% over 100 and 125% RDF for baby corn, respectively. Foliar application of 0.5% CaCl2 at the flowering and pod-developing stages significantly augmented all the aforementioned parameters for both cowpea and baby corn.
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