Economic Benefits of Mixed Cropping of Lentil (Lens Culinaris) With Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) and Barley (Hordeum Vulgare) at Different Seeding Ratios

Abstract

An experiment was conducted during 1998-99 and 1999-2000. to investigate yield, its components and land-equivalent ratio in sole lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L., s. l.) mixtures (90 % lentil + 10 barley or wheat, 80 % lentil + 20% barley or wheat, 70% lentil + 30% barley or wheat) under dryland conditions of Van, Turkey. The highest grain yields were obtained from monoculture for lentil, barley and wheat in both the years. In both types of mixture for lentil, pods/plant, plants/m2, seed yield/plant, branches/plant and seed yield/unit area decreased significantly (P < 0.01). However, number of spikes and seed yield of barley and wheat increased, depending on increase in percentage of cereals. The mixture of 80% lentil + 20% wheat gave the highest land-equivalent ratio for straw and grain yields as 1.15 and 1.06 in the second year respectively. During the first year, the highest land-equivalent ratio was obtained from the mixture of 70% lentil + 30% wheat as 1.04 for straw yield and 1.03 for grain yield.