Research on the Rainfed Condition of Coimbatore for Castor (Ricinus communis) Based Pulse Intercropping

During the rabi season of 2024, a field study was carried out at Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences to study the castor-based pulse intercropping under rainfed conditions of Coimbatore, India. Castor was intercropped with pulse crops like cowpea, chickpea, greengram and horsegram were sown in replacement series row ratios of 1:2 and 2:2. The result showed that intercropping greengram and horsegram with castor in a 2:2 ratio increased both the seed yield (917 kg/ha) and stalk yield (900 kg/ha) of castor in comparison to sole castor. Intercropping indices including the castor equivalent yield (CEY), land equivalent ratio (LER) and relative crowding coefficient (RCC) were calculated to assess the advantage of pulse intercropping. The higher CEY (1004.06 kg/ha), LER (1.44), RCC (53.94) observed in castor + green gram (1:2). The higher B:C ratio (4.16), as well as net return (Rs. 152489/ha), was exhibited in the castor + green gram (2:2) followed by castor + horsegram (2:2) intercropping system.