<div>Background: After harvesting of kharif crops, lack of sufficient soil moisture availability limit the cultivation of rabi crops in the Birbhum district of West Bengal. So a huge area remains fallow during the rabi season mainly because of infrastructure to harvest and to utilize the bountiful rains of the monsoon. So, agronomic measures to conserve the soil moisture are very suitable for the region because of their low cost and capability to reduce soil erosion. In this region, maize stalk are not used as fodder for animals and are usually burnt or kept outside the field. Similarly, during rainy season, there is plenty of water hyacinth and paddy straw found around cultivated areas. Retention of crop residues and weed biomass on the soil surface in combination with zero tillage initiates process that lead to improve soil quality and overall enhancement of resource use efficiency. 
 
Methods: The trials were conducted for consecutive two years (2017-18 and 2018-19) in split plot design with three main plot treatments as cropping system after Maize, viz, i) Maize-chickpea (CS1) ii) Maize-lentil (CS2) iii) Maize-lathyrus (CS3); with five sub-plot treatments as mulching i) No-mulching (Residue Removal) (M0) ii) In-situ Maize stalk mulching (M1) iii) In-situ maize stalk mulch + Water hyacinth (5 t/ha) (M2) iv) In-situ maize stalk mulch + Paddy straw (5 t/ha) (M3) v) In-situ maize stalk mulch + Water hyacinth (2.5 t/ha) + Paddy straw (2.5 t/ha) (M4) but the individual rabi crop&rsquo;s data were analyzed in randomized block design (RBD) as the individual crops have different growth characteristics. 
 
Result: Experiments result revealed that mulching with M3- In-situ maize stalk mulch + Paddy straw (5 t/ha) is the best practice for growing pulses under zero-till condition after Maize in Maize-legume cropping system. Growing of pulses in different cropping system under zero-till condition not only will increase the cropping intensity and production of pulses in the country but also will increase the fertility of the soil.</div>

<div>Performance of Zero-till Bio-mulching on Different Pulses under Maize-legume Sequence</div>

<div>Background: Cluster bean was cultivated as a catch crop without external fertilization, solely to recharge the soil fertility and to harvest the residual nutrient after maize crop; clusterbean had been included as a succeeding crop. Doubling the fertilizer for maize would leave more residues. Even though maize is an exhaustive crop, since the nutrient uptake was need based, the excess fertilizers were effectively utilized by cluster bean.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
Methods: A field research was carried out at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore under irrigated conditions. Experimental trials were adopted to estimate the effect of high density with nutrient management practices on maize which influences the performance of succeeding cluster bean under maize-cluster bean cropping sequence during Rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19 by using cultivar Pusa Naubahar. No separate treatments were adapted to cluster bean crop.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results of cluster bean sown after the high density of 1,33,333 plants ha-1 maize with nutrient level of 200 per cent RDF produced taller plants, higher drymatter production (636 and 607 kg/ha), increased yield attributes, higher yield (6.58 and 6.81 t/ha) and better economics (B:C ratio -1.87 and 1.94) in both the seasons. Post-harvest available nutrient status revealed that the higher population by closer spacing with increased fertilizer levels (T7) maintained its superiority during both the years. Moreover, this proved to be the most viable practice for production and residual nutrient uptake, by including pulse (cluster bean) as succeeding crop and soil health was effectively maintained by fixing atmospheric nitrogen by cluster bean.</div>

Effect of Maize High Density Planting on Cluster Bean Performance under Maize-cluster Bean Cropping Sequence

<div>Background: Maize is the third most important food crop in India. Conventionally it is a furrow irrigated crop and hence, it calls for an effective on-farm management of water in field through micro irrigation. Intensive agriculture practice like continuous monocropping without following the principles of crop rotation and sequence have resulted in several ecological complications. Hence, blackgram was introduced as a succeeding crop after drip irrigated maize. The aim of the study was to examine the residual effect of drip irrigation levels and maize genotypes and their interaction on succeeding crop i.e. blackgram.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: During summer 2018 and 2019, maize experiment was conducted with four irrigation levels (drip irrigation at 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 ETc and furrow irrigation at 0.8 IW/CPE ratio) and four maize genotypes (NK-6240, Pinnacle, CP-818 and RCRMH-2). After maize, succeeding blackgram was taken up under rainfed condition of Dharwad during kharif 2018 and 2019.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Performance of blackgram was superior under residual effect of drip irrigation treatments over furrow irrigation method. Among the interactions, significantly higher yield, RWUE and net returns were recorded with residual effect of I1G4 treatment combination. However, it was on par with I1G2, I1G3, I1G1, I2G1, I2G2, I2G4, I3G2 and I3G3 treatment combinations.</div>

Residual Effect of Irrigation Levels and Maize Genotypes on Performance of Succeeding Blackgram (Vigna mungo L.) in Maize-blackgram Sequence Cropping

<div>Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the important cereal crop and its demand is increasing due to its versatile use but the productivity in India is still low. The basic requirement for improving the crop productivity is soil fertility and it is highly related with soil organic matter. Due to unavailability of organic manure and their higher cost, cheaper the organic source available at farm should be explored to meet the requirement. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted at College Agronomy Farm, B.A. College of Agriculture, AAU, Anand during summer-kharif seasons of years 2017 and 2018 to examine the impact of legume crop residue and nitrogen levels on maize crop. Experiment comprised of three legume crops grown in summer season viz., green gram, groundnut and cluster bean, two residue management treatments viz., residue removal and incorporation and three nitrogen levels in kharif maize viz., 100%, 75% and 50% recommended dose of nitrogen. 
 
Result: Results indicated that cluster bean-maize sequence provided the highest leaf area and leaf area index at 60 days after sowing, chlorophyll content and dry matter production at 30 and 60 days after sowing and crop growth rate for of maize crop. Incorporation of legume residues also had significant effect on plant height, dry matter production and chlorophyll content; leaf area and leaf area index at 60 days after sowing and crop growth rate and absolute growth rate of maize crop. Application of 100% RDN beneficially affected all the growth parameter and indices. Overall, summer legume cropping with their residue incorporation and higher nitrogen levels favourably impacts on various growth parameters and growth indices of maize crop.</div>

<div>Effect of Legume Crop Residues and Nitrogen Management on Growth Parameters and Growth Indices of Maize (Zea mays L.)</div>

<div>Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the important cereal crops of world. Its multiple uses in food industry made it most demanded crop, but the productivity in India is still low. Inclusion of legumes in the cropping system can help in restoring soil fertility in incredible ways hence, enhancing the crop productivity. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted at B. A. College of Agriculture, AAU, Anand during summer-kharif seasons of years 2017 and 2018 to examine the impact of legume crop residue and nitrogen levels on maize crop. Experiment comprised of three legume crops grown in summer season viz., green gram, groundnut and cluster bean, two residue management treatments viz., residue removal and incorporation and three nitrogen levels in kharif maize viz., 100%, 75% and 50% recommended dose of nitrogen.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Cluster bean-maize cropping system followed by groundnut-maize cropping system observed for the highest improvement in growth parameters, yield attribute and grain and straw yield. Residue incorporation of summer legumes and full dose of nitrogen in maize was found significant for increasing growth and yield parameters and grain yield of maize. Study indicate that residue incorporation had positive effects on maize growth and yield, however incorporation was not able to reduce the nitrogen requirement through chemical means.</div>

Effect of Inclusion of Legumes in Cropping System and their Residue Incorporation on the Yield of Maize

<div>Background: Legume residues such as leaves from cowpea and lablab plants can be accumulated in large quantities after fruits harvesting. These legumes can be incorporated in ruminants&rsquo; diets due to their high feeding value. They are rich in crude protein, vitamins and minerals when compared to grasses that normally deteriorate during dry seasons. This paper is focusing on determining effect of legume residues and maize straws on in vitro dry matter degradability (IVDMD) and palatability indices in ruminants. 
 
Methods: For palatability experiment, each of five male boer goats was provided with four feeding troughs carrying&nbsp; four different feeds (maize straws and 3 legumes =&nbsp;Lablab purpureus - lablab and 2 Vigna unguiculata - cowpeas - Dr Saunders and Betswit). The legume residues and maize straws were also analyzed for chemical composition and IVDMD. All data was subjected to a one-way analysis of variance.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Dr Saunders (230.7 g/kg DM) had the highest (P&lt;0.05) crude protein content when compared to all diets. Lablab (126.3 g/kg DM) had the lowest (P&lt;0.05) acid detergent lignin. The highest (P&lt;0.05) condensed tannins concentrations (50.1 g/kg DM) was recorded for Betswit. The highest (P&lt;0.05) in vitro dry matter degradability was recorded for lablab at 24 up to 72 hrs. Lablab had a higher palatability index (P&lt;0.05) when compared to other diets. Intake (r2 = 0.955) and palatability index (r2 = 0.971) were positively and significantly (P&lt;0.05) predicted from total phenolics on goats. Though lablab had better values in most parameters measured, all legumes can be highly recommended to supplement low-quality roughages such as maize straws and grasses.</div>

Proximate Analysis, in vitro Dry Matter Degradability and Palatability Index of Legume Residues and Maize Straws for Ruminants

<div>A field experiment was conducted at Instructional Farm of ICAR- Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tura during kharif, pre-rabi and rabi season of 2011-12 to 2013-14 to determine the suitable production potential, profitability, resource use efficiency and sustainability of diversified maize-legumes cropping system. The five cropping sequences viz., CS1: Maize + Blackgram (1:2) &ndash; green gram + maize (2:1) &ndash; tomato, &nbsp;CS2: maize + green gram(1:2) &ndash; green gram + maize (2:1) &ndash; tomato, CS3: maize + groundnut(1:2) &ndash; green gram + maize (2:1) &ndash; tomato, &nbsp;CS4: maize + Ssybean(1:2) &ndash; tomato and CS5: maize sole &ndash; green gram &ndash; tomato were replicated four times using a randomized block design on sandy loam soil with low to medium fertility level and slightly acidic in reaction. The cropping system &ldquo;Maize + Green gram(1:2) &ndash; green gram + maize (1:1) &ndash; tomato&rdquo; was found to be most remunerative and sustainable with system productivity (175.49 q/ha), net return (Rs.3,38,725/ha), profitability (Rs. 928.01 /ha/day), benefit cost ratio (4.40), sustainable yield index (1.00), production efficiency (Rs.58.30/ha/day), relative economic efficiency (162.72%), except land use efficiency(LUE) which was the highest (85.75%) in &nbsp;&ldquo;maize + groundnut(1:2) &ndash; green gram + maize (1:1) &ndash; tomato&rdquo; cropping system. The lowest system productivity, net returns, profitability, production efficiency, land use efficiency etc was found in maize+ soybean (1:2)- tomato followed by maize-greengram-tomato cropping system. Hence, the cropping sequence maize + green gram(1:2) &ndash; green gram + maize (1:1) &ndash; tomato &nbsp;and maize + groundnut(1:2) &ndash; green gram + maize (1:1) &ndash; tomato were found to be the productive, profitable, remunerative, resource use efficient and sustainable &nbsp;in the mid hills sub-tropical regions of India.</div>

<div>Sustainable diversification of maize (Zea mays L.) -legumes cropping systems for productivity, profitability and resource-use efficiency in West Garo Hills of Meghalaya, India</div>

Background: With the SDG goals of using the generated output of one season on other season for managing the resource potential so to unlock the crop productivity is being the best alternative that need to be looked out in present climate change scenario. So, the present trial is focuses on the lines of residue management of legumes on maize sequence with nitrogen as the driving gradient in 2021-22 and 2022-23.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The experiment is laid out in split-plot design with 18 treatments consisted of C1N1: groundnut100% RDN-maize, C1N2: groundnut75% RDN-maize, C2N1: soybean100% RDN-maize, C2N2: soybean75% RDN-maize, C3N1: greengram100% RDN-maize, C3N2: greengram75% RDN-maize as main-plots and 3 subplots viz.100% RDN, 125% RDN, 150% RDN (kharif and rabi respectively) during two years of study.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Among the different cropping systems, the preceding kharif greengram with 100% RDN on rabi zero-till maize showed higher growth parameters i.e. plant height, leaf area, leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD reading), dry matter at 30,60,90 DAS and at harvest and yields in both years. However, with respect to nitrogen levels, application of 150% RDN to rabi maize showed significantly higher growth and yields followed by 125% RDN and lowest was seen in 100% RDN in rabi respectively. On the other hand, the interaction effect was found significant at only 60 DAS in both years.

Nitrogen Gradient Optimization with Kharif Legumes on Agronomic Parameters in Zero-till Rabi Maize

<div>Background: Maize is referred to as the &ldquo;Queen of Cereals&rdquo; since it has highest genetic yield potential. So, Maize being a rainy season crop, suffers badly due to heavy weed infestation reducing the potential yield. Intercropping with legumes is the effective technique to control weed infestation. Therefore, this study is focused on to evaluate the legume intercropping for weed control efficiency in kharif maize (Zea mays L.) under Amritsar conditions. 
 
Methods: A field study was carried out to evaluate the effect of &ldquo;Legume intercropping for weed control efficiency in kharif maize (Zea mays L.) under Amritsar conditions&rdquo; at Student&rsquo;s Research Farm, P.G. Department of Agriculture, Khalsa College Amritsar, during Kharif season 2021-2022. The experiment consists of six treatment combination which were tested in factorial randomized block design with three replications. The treatment consisted of T1 - sole maize, T2- paired row maize, T3- maize + green gram (1:1), T4- maize + green gram (2:2), T5- maize + black gram (1:1), T6- maize + black gram (2:2) and two weed management practices i.e. weedy check and pendimethalin at 0.75 kg ha-1 (pre-emergence). 
 
Result: The results indicated that maize + green gram (1:1) intercropping system registered considerably lowest weed density of both monocot and dicot weeds at 25 DAS (58.14 m2) and 50 DAS (61.72 m2) and also significantly lower weed dry matter at 25 DAS (2.06 q ha-1), 50 DAS (4.58 q ha-1), 75 DAS (5.88 q ha-1). Maize + green gram (1:1) treatment also recorded considerably highest weed control efficiency (17.57 %) at 25 DAS and (16.38%) at 50 DAS. The highest maize grain yield (38.85 q ha-1) was achieved in maize + green gram (1:1) followed by (37.68 q ha-1) maize + black gram (1:1) and (33.41 q ha-1) maize + green gram (2:2). Maize grain equivalent yield and benefit-cost ratio significantly superior in all the intercropping systems than pure stand yield of crop. The highest maize grain equivalent yield (66.78 q ha-1) and benefits: cost ratio (3.6) was obtained in maize + green gram (2:2) followed by (3.31) maize + black gram (2:2) and (2.5) maize + green gram (1:1). Pre-emergence application of pendimethalin at 0.75 kg ha-1 gave substantially lower weed density at25 DAS (56.05 m2), 50 DAS (57.97 m2) and weed dry matter at 25 DAS (2.16 q ha-1), 50 DAS (4.03 q ha-1) and 75 DAS (5.35 q ha-1) and significantly superior weed control efficiency at 25 DAS (30.97%) and 50 DAS (27.98 %) over weedy check. Significantly higher maize grain yield (36.94 q ha-1), legumes yield (8.87 q ha-1), maize grain equivalent yield (58.45 q ha-1) and benefits: cost ratio (3.19).</div>

Legume Intercropping for Weed Control Efficiency in Kharif Maize (Zea mays L.) under Amritsar Conditions

Background: Incidence of fall armyworm in maize has been reported at a severe level since 2018 resulting in low yield and in extreme cases complete failure of the crop. In view of undesirable effects of unilateral reliance on chemicals, greener avenues like intercropping needs to be explored, which promise to subside pests, as well as, provide higher income to cultivators. 
 
Method: Field experiment was conducted from 2019 to 2021consecutively for three years to investigate the consequences of intercropping with legumes viz., red gram (Cajanus cajan L.), black gram (Vigna mungo L.), green gram (Vigna radiata L.&nbsp;), cowpea (Vigna unguiuculata L.), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) and soybean(Glycine max&nbsp;L.) on incidence of fall armyworm in maize and the cost economics involved. 
 
Result: Among the different intercrops studied, maize+cowpea recorded significantly lowest mean per cent infested plants (45.0 per cent) at 75 days after sowing which was on par with maize+green gram (45.5 per cent). The next effective intercropping system was maize+black gram (55.7 per cent) followed by maize+red gram (58.2 per cent).&nbsp; Maize as a sole crop recorded the highest mean per cent infested plants (76.3 per cent) at 75 days after sowing. The system equivalent yield (SEY) of the intercropping systems under study ascertained that the maize+cowpea achieved highest SEY of 5230 kg per ha followed by maize+green gram (5160 kg per ha) followed by maize+black gram (4900 kg per ha). Upon comparison of the benefit cost ratio (BC ratio), the maize+cowpea proved to be the most profitable with BC ratio of 4.11 followed by maize+ green gram (4.05) followed by maize+black gram (3.85), whereas, sole maize recorded minimum BC ratio of 2.87.