Abstract
Agroforestry and intercropping systems offer sustainable alternatives to monoculture, enhancing yield stability and ecosystem services. This study investigated the growth behavior and productivity of three intercrops – Cajanus cajan (Arhar), Vigna unguiculata (Cowpea), and Brassica juncea (Mustard) – within a Gmelina arborea-based agroforestry system compared to their sole cropping counterparts. The field experiment was conducted over two consecutive years (2019-20 and 2020-21) at the Forestry Research Farm, JNKVV, Jabalpur, using a Complete Randomized Block Design with seven treatments (three intercropping combinations, sole Gmelina, and three sole crops) replicated three times. Data were collected on plant population, height, branches per plant, pods/siliques per plant, grains per pod/silique, and grain, straw, and biological yields. Results indicated that sole cropping treatments generally maintained higher plant populations per meter row compared to intercropping under Gmelina. However, growth parameters varied significantly; Gmelina with Arhar (T1) consistently recorded the highest crop height, branches per plant, and total pods per plant across both years and in pooled data, significantly outperforming most other treatments in pod production. Gmelina with Mustard (T3) exhibited high potential, particularly in grain and biological yield, especially in the first year. While sole Arhar (T5) also performed well, particularly for yield components, intercropping combinations demonstrated viable productivity. A general decline in intercrop performance was observed in the second year when Gmelina trees were older. The findings suggest that Gmelina-based agroforestry systems can support diverse crop production, with specific combinations like Gmelina-Arhar and Gmelina-Mustard showing promise, although tree presence influences crop density and yield dynamics over time.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Sole cropping maintained higher Arhar plant populations per meter row than intercropping under Gmelina.
Verbatim
e0“sole cropping treatments generally maintained higher plant populations per meter row compared to intercropping under Gmelina”
e1“Cajanus cajan (Arhar)”
Claim · model-written summary
Sole cropping maintained higher Cowpea plant populations per meter row than intercropping under Gmelina.
- Taxon
- Cowpea
Vigna unguiculatae1 - Treatment
- sole croppinge0
- Outcome
- plant populations per meter rowe0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- intercropping under Gmelinae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“sole cropping treatments generally maintained higher plant populations per meter row compared to intercropping under Gmelina”
e1“Vigna unguiculata (Cowpea)”
Claim · model-written summary
Sole cropping maintained higher Mustard plant populations per meter row than intercropping under Gmelina.
Verbatim
e0“sole cropping treatments generally maintained higher plant populations per meter row compared to intercropping under Gmelina”
e1“Brassica juncea (Mustard)”
Claim · model-written summary
Gmelina with Arhar gave the highest crop height and branches per plant across years.
Verbatim
e0“Gmelina with Arhar (T1) consistently recorded the highest crop height, branches per plant, and total pods per plant across both years and in pooled data, significantly outperforming most other treatments in pod production”
Claim · model-written summary
Gmelina with Arhar produced the most pods per plant and significantly surpassed most other treatments.
Verbatim
e0“Gmelina with Arhar (T1) consistently recorded the highest crop height, branches per plant, and total pods per plant across both years and in pooled data, significantly outperforming most other treatments in pod production”
Claim · model-written summary
Gmelina with Mustard showed high grain and biological yield, especially in the first year.
Verbatim
e0“Gmelina with Mustard (T3) exhibited high potential, particularly in grain and biological yield, especially in the first year”
Claim · model-written summary
Sole Arhar performed well for yield components.
Verbatim
e0“sole Arhar (T5) also performed well, particularly for yield components”
Claim · model-written summary
Intercrop performance declined in the second year as Gmelina trees aged.
Verbatim
e0“A general decline in intercrop performance was observed in the second year when Gmelina trees were older”
e1“Cajanus cajan (Arhar), Vigna unguiculata (Cowpea), and Brassica juncea (Mustard)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that Gmelina agroforestry can support diverse crop production, particularly Gmelina–Arhar and Gmelina–Mustard combinations.
Verbatim
e0“Gmelina-based agroforestry systems can support diverse crop production, with specific combinations like Gmelina-Arhar and Gmelina-Mustard showing promise”
The same questions in other papers
intercropping · pest · Vigna unguiculata (cowpea)Positive and negative results
7 papers in the same direction as this paper · 4 in the opposite direction
- no effect
- negative
- no effect
8 papers more in this group
See all 12 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.