Effect of Intercropping Systems and Different Levels of Nutrients on Dry Matter Accumulation and Physiological Growth Parameters of Bed Planted Wheat (Triricum aestivum L.)

The field experiment was conducted on bed planted wheat in a split-plot design with three replications at the research farm, Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during rabi seasons of 2012-13 and 2013-14. The main plots treatments involved five intercropping systems i.e. wheat + spinach, wheat + fenugreek, wheat + oats fodder, wheat + canola and wheat + linseed. Each main plot was divided into four sub plots to allocate the different levels of recommended dose of nutrients i.e. 0, 50, 75 and 100 % of recommended dose of nutrients to intercrops. But the nutrients applied to the intercrops did not affect the dry matter accumulation and physiological growth parameters (CGR, AGR and RGR) of wheat. Among the different intercropping systems, canola was found to be more aggressive and competitive to wheat than the other component crops and significantly lowered the dry matter accumulation, CGR and AGR than the other intercropping systems.