Quantification of soil temperature in sole and intercropped pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) using meteorological parameters

Abstract

The meteorological week-wise soil thermal regime in the root zone (5, 15 and 30 cm depth) of pigeonpea and pigeonpea based groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) cropping systems was studied in relation to various meteorological parameters twice a day, 0738 and 1438 hrs (IST) for three years (1986-87, 1987-88 and 1988-89), in the middle Gujarat region.

A decline in soil thermal regime was observed on three occasions during the crop growth period viz., at onset of SW monsoon, at the end of rainy season and at the time of harvesting of intercrop, In sole pigeonpea, the soil temperature upto 30 cm depth can be estimated from mean air temperature, whereas in the pigeonpea + groundnut cropping system, before harvest of intercrop the minimum and maximum temperature were found to be more appropriate for estimation of morning and afternoon time respectively, but only in the top layers of the soil.