Author(s): S. SARKAR, B. MAJUMDAR AND D. K. KUNDU

Abstract: A field experiment was conducted in West Bengal, India, from 2006 to 2007 to evaluate crop yields under strip cropping of legumes with jute in a jute (Corchorus olitorius)-rice-lentil cropping system. The treatments consisted of: jute (interrow spacing of 20 cm) in 80% of the area + cowpea cv. Pusa Kamal as grain crop in 20% of the area (T1); jute (interrow spacing of 20 cm) in 80% of the area + green gram cv. PS 16 as grain crop in 20% of the area (T2); jute (interrow spacing of 20 cm) in 80% of the area + black gram cv. T9 as fodder crop in 20% of the area (T3); jute (interrow spacing of 20 cm) in 80% of the area + rice cv. K1 as fodder crop in 20% of the area (T4); sole crop of jute (interrow spacing of 20 cm; T5); and sole crop of jute (interrow spacing of 25 cm; T6). The greatest plant height and basal diameter for jute was obtained with black gram, cowpea and rice as strip crops. The highest fibre yields of jute were obtained under sole cropping for an interrow spacing of 20 and 25 cm (29.6 and 28.1 quintal/ha, respectively). The highest jute equivalent yield was recorded for black gram as a strip crop (33.68 quintal/ha). Strip cropping had no significant effects on the yields of rice and lentil. Strip cropping with black gram or rice with jute under an interrow spacing of 20 cm gave the greatest increase (13.8%) in total jute equivalent yield.[1.0 quintal= 100.0 kg].

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