Effect of plant density and fertility levels of <italic>kharif</italic> groundnut (<italic>Arachis hypogaea</italic> L.) + pigeon pea (<italic>Cajanas cajan</italic>) intercropping system under red and laterite zone of

A field experiment was conducted during <italic>kharif</italic> season of 2005 and 2006 to find out the plant density and fertility levels of <italic>kharif</italic> groundnut (<italic>Arachis hypogaea</italic>) – pigeon pea (<italic>Cajanus cajan</italic>) intercropping system. Growing of groundnut as sole crop recorded higher pod yield (1490 kg ha⁻¹) over groundnut in intercropping system. The highest pod yield (889 kg ha⁻¹) of groundnut among the intercropping system was obtained with the treatment received 100 % of both RDF and plant density of groundnut and pigeon pea respectively. Which was closely followed by T₉ (850 kg ha⁻¹), T₂ (846 kg ha⁻¹), T₁₁ (828 kg ha⁻¹) and (825 kg ha⁻¹) and they were statistically at par among each other. Growing of pigeon pea as sole crop recorded higher ^T10 grain yield (1584 kg ha⁻¹) over pigeon pea in intercropping system. Among the intercropping system the maximum pigeon pea grain yield was found in T₁ (1013kg ha⁻¹) which was at par with T₁₀ (978 kg ha⁻¹), T₁₁ (950 kg ha ⁻¹), T₂ (946 kg ha⁻¹), T₉ (939 kg ha⁻¹), and T₅ (903 kg ha⁻¹). Among the cropping systems, intercropping of groundnut with pigeon pea resulted in maximum groundnut equivalent yield (2155 kg ha⁻¹) in T₁. Among the intercropping systems, groundnut with pigeon pea in 4:2 row proportions with 100% both plant density and RDF in all the crops was most remunerative in respect of net return (Rs.28400) and economic return: cost ratio (2.85).