Growth, Yield and Quality of Linseed under Replacement Series in Legume Intercropping System

Among the oil seeds crops grown during rabi season, linseed is next in importance to rapeseed and mustard in area as well as production. This crop is often grown on marginal and sub marginal land in rainfed conditions as pure and mixed or intercrop. It is one among minor crops which is of economic value because of its common usage in animal feed, oil extraction, etc. There are many factors responsible for lack of productivity of linseed including crop failure. Therefore increasing productivity and avoiding the risk associated with complete crop failure intercropping is the way forward. Hence, a field experiment was conducted at College Agronomy Farm, B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand during two consecutive rabi season of the year 2019-20 and 2020-21 in Randomized Block Design (RBD), consisting of ninth different intercropping systems viz.; T1: sole chickpea, T2: sole linseed, T3: sole fenugreek, T4: (chickpea + linseed 2:1), T5: (chickpea + linseed 3:1), T6: (chickpea + linseed 4:2), T7: (chickpea + fenugreek 2:1), T8: (chickpea + fenugreek 3:1) and T9: (chickpea + fenugreek 4:2) with four replication. The results showed that the plant height of linseed at harvest, number of branches per plant at 60 DAS (Days after sowing) and at harvest was found significantly higher under treatment T2 (sole linseed) during the both years as well as in pooled results. Furthermore treatment T2 (sole linseed) recorded significantly higher number of capsules/plant during the year 2019-20, 2020-21 and on pooled base analysis, respectively but being comparable with treatment T4 (chickpea + linseed 2:1) during both the years. Maximum seed yield of linseed was obtained under treatment T2 (sole linseed) during the individual years and on pooled base analysis, respectively. Among the intercropping treatments, higher seed yield of linseed was obtained in the treatment T4 (chickpea + linseed 2:1). While the highest straw yield and harvest index of linseed was obtained in treatment T2 (sole linseed) during the year 2019-2020, 2020-21 and in pooled results. Treatment T2 (sole linseed) gave the highest crude protein (%) and oil content (%) during the both years as well as pooled results.