Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to study the effect of intercropping oats fodder on growth and phenology of gobhi sarson. The findings of this study indicated that growing of oats fodder as an intercrop significantly influenced the growth of gobhi sarson at 60, 90, 120 DAS and at harvest. At 60 and 90 DAS, variety GSC-6 recorded higher plant height, DMA and LAI at 60 DAS than variety GSL 1, whereas at 90 DAS and above, variety GSL 1 recorded higher plant height, DMA and LAI than variety GSC 6. Both varieties at wider row spacing of 90 cm in intercropping systems recorded significantly lower DMA and LAI as compared to their sole crops. Highest LAI of 5.29 and 4.98 was recorded by variety GSL 1 and GSC 6, respectively, at 90 DAS. Intercropping of oats fodder as an intercrop did not significantly affect the phenology of both the varieties of gobhi sarson. Irrespective of intercropping systems, variety GSL 1 took 100.3 to 102.0 days for 50% flowering, whereas variety GSC 6 took 63.8 to 65.0 days for 50% flowering. The number of days taken to 50% siliquae formation by variety GSL 1 was 107.5 to 109.8, whereas variety GSC 6 took only 74.5 to 76.0 days for 50% siliquae formation. Both the varieties took statistically equal number of days for 50% siliquae formation in their respective intercropping systems as compared to their sole crops. Variety GSL 1 took 155.0 to 157.0 days for maturity, whereas variety GSC 6 took 144.0 to 145.5 days for maturity, irrespective of intercropping systems. All the intercropping systems recorded significantly higher gobhi sarson equivalent yield than sole gobhi sarson.