Productivity, nutrient content, nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil nutrient status of pigeonpea as influenced by pigeonpea-based intercropping system on hilly terraces of Nagaland

A field experiment was conducted on "Productivity, nutrient content, nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil nutrient status of pigeonpea as influenced by the pigeonpea-based intercropping system on hilly terraces of Nagaland" during the kharif season of 2021 and 2022 at the experimental research farm, School of Agricultural Sciences (SAS), Medziphema, Nagaland University.There were 16 different treatments such as T1 -pigeonpea + rice (1:1), T2 -pigeonpea + rice (1:2), T3 -pigeonpea + rice (1:3), T4 -pigeonpea + sesame (1:1), T5pigeonpea + sesame (1:2), T6 -pigeonpea + sesame (1:3), T7 -pigeonpea + greengram (1:1) , T8 -pigeonpea + greengram (1:2) , T9-pigeonpea + greengram (1:3), T10 -pigeonpea + soybean (1:1) , T11 -pigeonpea + soybean (1:2) , T12-pigeonpea + soybean (1:3), T13sole pigeonpea, T14sole rice, T15sole sesame, T16sole greengram and T17sole soybean.The cultivation practices were the same for all the treatments.Experimental findings revealed that sole pigeonpeaT13recorded the highest seed yield (1382.41 kg ha -1 ), stover yield (3219.42 kg ha -1 ), nutrient content in seed and stover of nitrogen (2.91 and 0.614 %), phosphorus (2.24 and 0.309 %) and potassium (0.248 and 1.003 %)and nutrient uptake nitrogen (40.51 and 20.14 kg ha -1 ), phosphorus (31.14 and 10.13 kg ha -1 ) and potassium (3.45 and 32.92 kg ha -1 ).However, among the intercropping system, pigeon pea + soybean (1:1) T10 recorded elevated seed yield (1330.37 kg ha -1 ), stover yield(3121.91kgha -1 ) and yield advantage over other treatments.It also recorded higher nutrient content (%) in seed and stover for nitrogen (2.91 and 0.612 %), phosphorus (2.23 and 0.306 %) and potassium (0.246 and 1.00 %) and nutrient uptake in seed and stover of nitrogen (38.87 and 19.51 kg ha -1 ), phosphorus (29.84 and 9.77 kg ha -1 ) and potassium (3.29 and 31.89kg ha -1 ).Significantly higher levels of available soil nitrogen were noted in pigeonpea + soybean (1:3) T12 (271.87 and 288.42 kg ha -1 ) intercropping system before and after harvest of the crop, potentially attributable to the additional biomass contributed by the intercrops.