The performance of sole Indian mustard, sole chickpea, and chickpea + Indian mustard (4:1) intercropping as affected by irrigation (irrigation at the pre-flowering stage, pod formation stage, or pre-flowering stage and pod formation stage of chickpea) and NPS rate (20:40:10 or 40:60:20 kg/ha, or the recommended 20:60:20 kg/ha) was studied in Bulandshar, Uttar Pradesh, India, during the rabi seasons of 2005-06 and 2006-07. In 2005-06, chickpea + Indian mustard exhibited greater dry matter accumulation than the other cropping systems; in 2005-06, the variation among the cropping systems was not significant. Irrigation twice on the first year and irrigation once on the second year resulted in greater dry matter accumulation. Among the fertilizer treatments, the recommended NPS rates registered the greatest dry matter accumulation. Sole Indian mustard exhibited the greatest N, P and S extraction. Irrigation at the pod filling stage and irrigation at the pre-flowering and pod formation stages resulted in the greatest N, P and S uptake. The sole Indian mustard had a higher yield than the intercropped Indian mustard. In general, irrigation at the pod filling stage enhanced the yield by 12% compared to the other irrigation regimes. The recommended fertilizer rates also gave the highest seed yield. The highest chickpea equivalent yields were obtained with intercropping, irrigation twice, and application of the recommended fertilizer rates. Chickpea + Indian mustard intercropping recorded the highest net return and cost:benefit ratio.
