INTERCROPPING OF FLOWER CROPS IN COCONUT WITH IN-SITU MOISTURE CONSERVATION MATERIALS IN LITTORAL SANDY SOILS OF WEST COAST
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Date
2016-06
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University of Horticultural Sciences, Bagalkot (COLLEGE OF HORTICULTURE, GKVK POST, BANGALURU)
Abstract
Experiment was conducted at ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod, Kerala, during 2015-16 to study the performance of different flower crops grown as intercrop in coconut within-situ moisture conservation materials in littoral sandy soils of west coast. Flower cropsviz., C1-Marigold, C2-Gladiolus, C3-China aster and C4-Gomphrena, (C1 and C2 grown in kharif ; C3 and C4 grown in rabi) were grown with moisture conservation materialsviz., M1-Coconut husk, M2-Coir pith, M3-Shredded coconut leaf and control(M4). Vegetative, physiological and bio-chemical parameters of flower crops grown inkharif season recorded significantly higher growth in M3-treatment with the maximum flower yield (6.70 tons/ha of marigold and 78,026.95 spikes/ha of gladiolus) when compared to control (3.69 tons/ha of marigold and 63,788.43 spikes/ha of gladiolus). However, significantly higher growth of flower crops grown in rabiseason were observed in M1-treatment with maximum flower yield (2.50 tons/ha of china aster and 40.17 tons/ha of gomphrena) when compared to control (1.36 tons/ha of china aster and 14.81 tons/ha of gomphrena). The higher soil moisture retention capacity of shredded coconut leaf and coconut husk throughout the growth period of kharifand rabicrops resulted in higher growth and yield attributes. Studies on soil properties showed that there was no significant influence of moisture conservation materials on soil pH, EC, OC, total N, available P and K. The coconut equivalent yield under intercropping of flower crops with in-situ¬moisture conservation materials was significantly highest under gladiolus (52,926 nuts/ha) intercropping over gomphrena (27,836 nuts/ha), marigold (13,537 nuts/ha) and chinaaster (12,584 nuts/ha).