Review on: Role of Pulse Intercropping for Hindering Rust Disease and Improving Yield of Wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.)

Abstract

Wheat is the third most produced cereal in the world after maize and rice. Due to ever increasing human population and decreased area under cultivation, there is a pressure on limited land resource to meet basic demands of increased population towards food, fodder, pulses, oilseeds etc. The potential to increase arable cropping area is severely limited without significant environmental implications; the way to solving the problem is a sustainable intensification through a re invigoration of yield improvement by either genetic progress or optimization of cropping systems. Having this idea in mind, it can be conclude that, intercropping systems have the scope and potential to exceed the yields impossible in monocultures of their component species and hindering variety of disease development such as rust. It provides a variety of returns from land and labour to the farmers, often increases the efficiency with which scarce resources are used and reduces the failure risk of a single crop that is susceptible to environmental and economic fluctuations. Cropping system based on carefully designed species mixtures reveal many potential advantages interims of enhancing crop productivity, reducing pest and disease, and enhancing ecological service. Therefore it can be recommended that intercropping wheat with pulse crop is a desirable agronomic practice towards boosting of yield and prevention of disease incidence such as rust.