Synergistic Effect of Finger Millet–legume Intercropping Systems on Growth Dynamics and Sustainable Crop Productivity in Semi-arid Tropics

Abstract

Semi-arid crop production is frequently constrained by erratic rainfall, declining soil fertility, and inefficient use of available resources, necessitating resilient and sustainable cropping systems. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of finger millet–legume intercropping combinations and row ratios on the growth, yield attributes, and productivity of finger millet under semi-arid conditions. A field experiment was conducted during the kharif seasons of 2023–24 and 2024–25 at the Agricultural Research Station, Karimnagar, Telangana, India. The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design with three replications. The finger millet component comprised intercropping with greengram and blackgram at 4:2 and 6:2 row ratios, pigeonpea at 4:1 and 5:1 row ratios, and sole finger millet. Among the intercropping treatments, finger millet + pigeonpea at 4:1 and 5:1 produced greater plant height, tiller density, dry matter accumulation, number of ear heads, ear length, and ear-head weight than the greengram- and blackgram-based systems. Finger millet + pigeonpea at 5:1 recorded the highest grain yield among the intercropping treatments, with 3,739 and 3,749 kg ha⁻¹ during 2023–24 and 2024–25, respectively. Sole finger millet recorded the highest overall grain yield of 3,927 and 3,848 kg ha⁻¹ in the respective seasons. Grain weight per ear head and 1,000-grain weight were not significantly influenced by the intercropping treatments. The findings indicate that finger millet + pigeonpea at a 5:1 row ratio was the most productive intercropping option evaluated under the study conditions.