?INTERCROPPING MAIZE WITH HIGH YIELDING UPLAND SUMMER RICE: A POTENTIAL PRACTICE FOR BANGLADESH
Keywords:
Intercropping, Maize, Land equivalent ratio.Abstract
In field trials, conducted at the Regional Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI),
Ishurdi, Pabna during the crop seasons of 1989 and 1990, maize (Zea mays) inter-cropped with high yielding variety
(HYV) upland summer (aus) rice (Oryza sativa) (cv. BR 21). The treatments included were varying levels of plant popu-
lations; sole rice (broadcast) at 100 kg seed/ha; 100% rice +50% maize (line sowing); 100% rice +33% maize; 75%
rice +33% maize; 50% rice +50% maize; 100% rice +paired row maize (100%) and sole maize at 53,333 plants/ha,
Highest maize yield (4.37 t/ha) was obtained from sole maize and it was followed by 100% rice + paired row maize
intercrop (4.26 t/ha). This intercrop combination also produced an additional rice yield of 1 t/ha which was nearly 50%
of the yield obtained from sole rice crop (2.05 t/ha). The treatment gave each of the highest rice equivalent yield (4),
Land equivalent ratio (1.47), net return (US$ 412/ha) and benefit-cost ratio (2.50).
