STUDIES ON MAIZE-LEGUME INTERCROPPING AND THEIR RESIDUAL EFFECTS ON SOIL FERTILITY STATUS AND SUCCEEDING CROP IN UPLAND SITUATION

To examine the advantages of cereal-legume intercropping system with maize as main crops, field studies conducted for two years on sandy upland loamy soils in Bihar plateau, India, indicated maize-groundnut as the best system. Yield advantages were noticed between 22-44% over sole maize cropping. Different production indices largely indicated the same pattern in ranking intercropping treatments. Of the other legumes used, mung also showed potential whereas cowpea and soyabean did not. Increasing cropping intensities through use of interspace by legume did not significantly reduce maize yield, particularly in combination with groundnut and mung. Soil nitrogen enrichment through legume cultivation could be noted through examination of soil test values and yield of succeeding wheat crop. Wheat, however, did not show its promise as a follow-up crop without input of water and fertilizer.