Evaluation of Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Based Intercropping Systems with Millets by Varying Row Proportions under Dry Condition

Background: With the constant rise of the world population, global food security is progressively under threat. So, there is a need for an effective crop scheme such as intercropping that checks all drawbacks and meets the world’s current and future food needs. Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the most important minor oilseed crops of Karnataka and cultivated under rainfed situation. Under dry condition, instead of depending on mono-cropping, intercropping is always a better option. As millets are short duration crops, to make better utilization of resources and space; millets are well suited for intercropping systems. Keeping this in view the research study was carried out.
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2018-19 at the KVK farm College of Agriculture, Vijayapur in shallow medium black soils. The experiment was laid out in Randomized complete block design with 13 treatments viz. sesame intercropped with foxtail millet, little millet and proso millet in 1:2, 2:4, 3:3 row proportion and their respective sole crops. 
Result: Sole sesame recorded significantly higher grain yield (586 kg ha-1) than the other intercropped sesame. Among intercrops sole foxtail millet recorded higher grain yield (1,435 kg ha-1). Significantly higher (703 kg ha-1) sesame equivalent yield (SEY) was recorded in sesame+foxtail millet in 2:4 row proportions and was on par with sesame + little millet (667 kg ha-1) in 2:4 row proportions. While lowest SEY was observed in sesame + little millet in 3:3 row proportions (631 kg ha-1). Significantly higher land equivalent ratio (LER) and area time equivalent ratio (ATER) were recorded in sesame + foxtail millet in 2:4 row proportions (1.33and 1.28, respectively). Higher dry matter accumulation was noticed in sole sesame (9.70 g plant-1) compared to other intercropped sesame. Significantly higher gross returns (` 50,228 ha-1), net returns (` 36,875 ha-1) and B: C (3.76) was recorded in sesame + foxtail millet in 2:4 row proportions and this intercropping system is more remunerative over sole crops.