Land, biological and economic evaluation of intercropping systems involving barley (Hordeum vulgare), Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum) under different spatial arrangements

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) seasons of 2011–12 and 2012–13 at Hisar, Haryana, in randomized block design with 9 treatments replicated thrice, to evaluate the intercropping of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj & Cosson] and chickpea (Cicer arietinum) with barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in re placement series. Results revealed that seed and straw yields of barley was reduced in barley + Indian mustard intercropping system as compared to barley + chickpea because Indian mustard was found to be more competi tive and dominant over barley, as evident from higher partial relative crowding coefficient (RCC), competitive ratio (CR), actual yield loss (AYL) and positive aggresivity (A) values of Indian mustard in all the planting patterns com pared to barley and chickpea. Among the intercropping treatments, barley + Indian mustard (6 : 3) was found most economical and efficient intercropping system with the highest barley-equivalent yield (BEY, 7.93 t/ha), land-use efficiency (LUE, 135%), area-time equivalent ratio (ATER, 1.34), land-equivalent ratio (LER, 1.36), land-euivalent coefficient (LEC, 0.44), crowding coefficient (K, 5.82), actual yield loss (AYL, + 1.10), intercropping advantages in dex (IAI, + 3624.3), monetary advantage index (MAI, + 17,975.4), income-equivalent ratio (IER, 1.24), system productivity index (SPI, 65.4), relative net returns index (RNRI, 1.27), monetary-equivalent ratio (MER, 1.33), net returns ( 56,321/ha), benefit: cost rato (B:C, 3.41) and profit margin (71%). Among different row patterns, on the basis of total crop-performance ratio (CPR) values, barley intercropped with either of the intercrop at 6:3 row ratio performed better. Hence barley + Indian mustard (6:3) intercropping system can be a best option to get more mon etary returns and resource-use efficiency.