Yield advantage, reciprosity functions and energy budgeting of lentil (Lens culinaris) + oat (Avena sativa) intercropping under varying row ratio and phosphorus management

A field experiment was conducted during winter ( rabi) seasons of 2006‐08 at Sopore to evaluate the production potential, biological feasibility, economic viability and energy efficiency of intercropping of lentil ( Lens culinaris Medikus) with oat (Avena sativa L.) under varying row ratio, P levels and biofertilizers. Oat was found dominant and aggressive as compared to lentil. Lentil and oat under 2:1 row ratio proved more remunerative and recorded higher yield advantage than 3:1 and 1:1 as judged by lentil-equivalent yield (1.13 tonnes/ha), crop productivity (4.77 kg/ha/ day), land-equivalent ratio (1.35), income-equivalent ratio (1.27), crop profitability ( ` 96.34/ha/day), area-time equivalent ratio (1.20), monetary advantage (` 8 580), net return (` 22 833/ha), biological efficiency, water-use efficiency (5.76 kg/ha-cm), P uptake (22.5 kg/ha) and energy productivity (739.3 g/MJ). Application of 17.2 kg P/ha recorded markedly higher lentil-equivalent yield, competition functions, water use, economics and energetics compared with rest of the treatments. Dual inoculation of lentil and oat seed with phosphorus solubilising bacteria +vasicular arbuscular mycorrhizae also showed significantly higher lentil-equivalent yield (1.18 tonnes/ha), yield attributes and other parameters, like biological efficiency, P uptake, water use, economic advantage and energy efficiency over seed inoculation with phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria or vasicular arbuscular mycorrhizae alone.