Short-season fodder legume effects on the grain yield and nitrogen economy of barley under dryland conditions

Abstract

SUMMARYField experiments were conducted for 2 years (1977–8 and 1978–9) at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi under semi-arid seasonally dry tropical conditions to evaluate the possibility of growing two crops under natural precipitation, where traditionally one crop is grown. Short-season fodder crops of cow pea (Vigna unguiculata), guar bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba), moth bean (V. aconilifolia), soya bean (Glycine max.) or pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) harvested before the end of monsoon rains enabled sufficient recharge of the profile from the precipitation received subsequently to enable barley to be sown in the winter season. Although the pearl millet yielded more biomass, the soil fertility enrichment was greater from the legume fodders. The grain yield and total nitrogen removal by barley was higher after the legume fodders than after the non-legume fodder pearl millet. Benefits from the previous fodder legumes were equivalent to or more than 40 kg N/ha applied to barley crop following a previous crop of pearl millet.