Legume based Profitable Intercropping System for Management of Fall Armyworm in Maize

Background: Incidence of fall armyworm in maize has been reported at a severe level since 2018 resulting low yield and extreme cases complete failure the crop. In view undesirable effects unilateral reliance on chemicals, greener avenues like intercropping needs to be explored, which promise subside pests, as well as, provide higher income cultivators. Method: Field experiment was conducted from 2019 2021consecutively for three years investigate consequences with legumes viz., red gram (Cajanus cajan L.), black (Vigna mungo green radiata L. ), cowpea unguiuculata groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) soybean(Glycine max incidence cost economics involved. Result: Among different intercrops studied, maize+cowpea recorded significantly lowest mean per cent infested plants (45.0 cent) 75 days after sowing par maize+green (45.5 cent). The next effective system maize+black (55.7 followed by maize+red (58.2 Maize sole crop highest (76.3 sowing. equivalent (SEY) systems under study ascertained that achieved SEY 5230 kg ha (5160 ha) (4900 ha). Upon comparison benefit ratio (BC ratio), proved most profitable BC 4.11 maize+ (4.05) (3.85), whereas, minimum 2.87.