Effect of preceding grain legumes on growth and nitrogen uptake of dryland pearl millet

Summary In a dryland cropping systems study preceding crops either of groundnuts, cowpea or pigeon pea were found to increase the early seedling vigour, rate of plant growth and grain production of the subsequent pearl millet. No such benefit was noted from a previous crop of mung. Grown after groundnuts and cowpea the unfertilized pearl millet removed from the soil 39.9 and 32.5 kg N compared to 18.9 kg N per hectare following a pearl millet crop. At harvest the number of viable nodules was the highest in groundnuts and cowpea. Especially in groundnuts the number of viable nodules increased after flowering stage.