TY  - BK
AU  - Subedi,K.
AU  - Rajbhandari,N.P.|Ransom,J.K.|Adhikari,K.|Palmer,A.F.E.
ED  - Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo CIMMYT, Nepal (India)
ED  - Proceedings of a Maize Symposium
TI  - Maize and finger millet relay intercropping system in the hills of nepal:  Issues for sustainability
SN  - 99933-205-1-X
U1  - 631.536 
PY  - 2002///
CY  - Kathmandu (Nepal)
PB  - NARC|CIMMYT
KW  - Climatic factors
KW  - Crop yield
KW  - AGROVOC
KW  - Intercropping
KW  - Maize
KW  - Millets
KW  - Nepal
KW  - Rainfed farming
KW  - Sustainability
KW  - Zea mays
KW  - Soil fertility
KW  - Agricultural research
KW  - CIMMYT
KW  - NARC
N2  - Maize (Zea mays) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana) are the two predominant staple crops in the rainfed bariland of the Nepa1ese hills. These crops are grown in a relay inter- cropping system, developed by the ingenuity of Nepalese farmers over many years. Considerable research has been done in Nepal on maize and millet separately, but there has been limited research on the system approach, and it has been limited to providing outputs for extension. This paper reviews information about the existing practices of the system, research results on competition between the two crops in the system, and discusses the varieta1, agronomic and soil fertility related issues of the system. Based on this information, suggestions for the sustainability of such a system have also been made. Competition between the companion crops in the relay inter-cropping system exists depending upon the duration of their overlap in the relay system, which is determined mainly by the time of finger millet transplanting, which is governed by the altitude of a location. Maize yields were significantly affected by finger millet if it is planted before 45 days of maize planting. In excess of a certain over-lapping period, finger millet also exerts an effect on maize. However, the effect of millet on maize is not normally observed as maize reaches its reproductive stage by the time of millet transplanting. If maize growth is poor because of poor establishment, or bad climatic conditions, or poor fertility, millet performance is good and vice versa; which compensates the overall yield. The most appropriate time for millet transplanting was found to be at least 45 days after maize sowing, the exact figure depending on a1titude. Soil fertility , weeds, maintenance of the desired plant density of maize, selection and maintenance of improved varieties and seeds, varietal suitability of maize and millet for the relay intercropping system and labour intensive cultivation are the major production constraints in the system
ER  -