Introduction to Major Field Crops

Cropping System

Ninety five per cent of sorghum in India is rainfed. Monoculture is a common practice due to moisture stress. With the development of short duration, improved varieties double cropping is possible. Common cropping systems with sorghum are sorghum-chickpea, sorghum-pea, sorghum-mustard, sorghum-wheat, sorghum-sunflower, sorghum-safflower, sorghum - chickpea-sorghum, sorghum - wheat-green gram, sorghum - wheat-groundnut.

Intercropping of sorghum with pulses or oil seeds, paired planting system (30/60 cm) is good. Maximum returns of soybean, green gram,pigeon pea, groundnutand safflower may be obtained in paired rows of 30/90 cm with two rows of intercrop in 90 cm space.