Designing crop geometry in maize (Zea mays)–legume intercropping systems for higher system productivity and profitability in Eastern plateau region of India

A field study on intercropping maize [Zea mays L.] with green gram [Vigna radiata L.] and cowpea [Vigna unguiculata L.] was undertaken in randomized complete block design at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Jharkhand during the wet (kharif) season in 2022 to determine the impact of crop geometry in maize legume intercropping systems for higher system productivity and profitability. Though crop yields for individual crops of maize, green gram and cowpea were found to be the highest for sole crop, but yield of intercropping system in terms of maize equivalent yield was found to be the highest for the additive crop stand of maize + cowpea (10.05 t/ ha) followed by that additive crop stand of maize + green gram (9.82 t/ha). Higher system productivity (91.3 kg/ha/ day), system profitability (`1690.1 /ha/day), land equivalent coefficient (0.70), area time-equivalent ratio (1.37) and monetary advantage (`69,987) were derived in additive crop stand of maize with cowpea; while, higher relative crowding coefficient (1.78), energy efficiency (14.4 MJ/ha) and energy productivity (0.93 kg/MJ) were in additive crop stand of maize with green gram. Thus, intercropping maize with green gram/cowpea at additive crop stands could ensure higher productivity and profitability than its pure crop stand of maize in this Eastern plateau region, India.