Introduction to Major Field Crops

Cropping System

Crop rotation of gram with pearl millet, sorghum, maize, sesame, rice, etc. is more common in India. Mixed cropping of gram with other cool season crop is quite common. The common crop mixtures include;gram+wheat, gram+barley, gram+linseed, gram+rapeseed/mustard, gram+safflower, gram+rabi sorghum.

Gram proved an economic intercrop with rabi sorghum. Intercropping of gram between two rows of sugarcane to improve the land use efficiency during the early phase of sugarcane growth is common. Relay cropping of gram in standing crop of rice is practiced by the farmers in northeastern rice fallow areas to make use of soil moisture, which is critical for good stand establishment of gram in these areas.




Fig: Intercropping of gram with mustard.