IMPROVEMENT IN PRODUCTIVITY AND LAND EQUIVALENT RATIO WITH MAIZE SOYBEAN INTERCROPPING SYSTEM THROUGH CANOPY MANIPULATION

Abstract Stress on the agro-qualitative traits of soybean is oftenly observed in maize-soybean intercropping system due to the expected shadding effect of the companion crop. Canopy manipulation of maize would pave the role to improve the productivity and land equivalent ratio of maize-soybean intercropping system. Keeping in view the above mentioned facts, an experiment was carried out at Agronomic field area, University of Agriculture Faisalabad in autumn 2020 and repeated it in autumn 2021. In these experiments, treatments based upon canopy manipulation of maize (T1: Sole soybean plantation, T2: Sole maize plantation without leaf removal and detasseling, T3: Sole maize plantation with removal of 2 top leaves, T4: Sole maize plantation with detasseling, T5: Sole maize plantation with removal of 2 top leaves and detasseling, T6: Maize intercropping with soybean without leaf removal and detasseling of maize, T7: Maize intercropping with soybean with removal of 2 top leaves of maize, T8: Maize intercropping with soybean with detasseling of maize and T9: Maize intercropping with soybean with removal of 2 top leaves and detasseling of maize) were studied. Randomized Complete Block Design was followed for this experimentation under three replications. Growth and the yield influencing variables were critically studied by following the standard procedures. Fisher’s analysis of variance techniques was used to analyze the recorded data and treatments’ means were compared by Least Significant Differences (LSD) test at 5% probability level. Results revealed that during both the years (autumn 2020-21 and autumn 2021-22), all treatments had a substantial effect on maize and soybean yield and growth-related metrics. In case of maize, throughout both years, maximum grain yield (7.90 t ha-1 and 7.89 t ha-1), biological yield (25.64 t ha-1 and 24.55 t ha-1), leaf area index (LAI) and crop growth rate (CGR) were found with treatment T2 (Sole maize plantation without leaf removal and detessaling). However in case of soybean, maximum grain yield (1.99 t ha-1 and 1.97 t ha-1), biological yield (5.70 t ha-1 and 5.68 t ha-1), leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR) were observed with treatment T1 (Sole soybean plantation). While minimum values of all of these parameters of maize were reported with treatment T9 (Maize intercropping with soybean with removal of 2 top leaves and detasseling of maize) and of soybean were reported with treatment T6 (Maize intercropping with soybean without leaf removal and detasseling of maize). Overall, during both study years, maximum land equivalent ratio (LER) (1.34 and 1.23) were recorded in treatment T9 (Maize intercropping with soybean with removal of 2 top leaves and detessling of maize). The present investigations conclude that with removal of 2 top leaves and detasseling of maize canopy manipulation technique would be a feasible and economical strategy for the attraction of the farming community of maize belt in Punjab, Pakistan.