Performance of Sugarcane Based Intercropping Systems Under Wide Row Spacings
Loading...
Date
2017-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Agricultural Science, Dharwad
Abstract
Effect of row spacing and intercrops on plant and ratoon cane was evaluated during 2013-14 and 2014-15 at the K. J. Somaiya Institute of Applied Agricultural Research (KIAAR), Sameerwadi, Karnataka. The experiment consisted of 15 treatments in plant cane (three row spacings i.e., 1.2 m, 2.4 m paired row and 3.6 m paired row, three intercrops soybean, greenpea and onion and three sole crops of sugarcane and intercrops) and 23 treatments in ratoon cane (intercropped plots were divided into two subplots to intercrops watermelon and cucumber, sole crops of watermelon and cucumber and sole sugarcane at three spacings). Plant cane was harvested at 17 months whereas ratoon at 12 months.
Plant cane produced significantly higher NMC (1,34,717 ha-1) and cane yield (110 t ha-1) at 1.2 m row spacing. The higher MAI (1,32,010), net returns (` 2,09,745 ha-1) and B:C (1.98) were obtained in sugarcane at 1.2 m + onion. Ratoon at 1.2 m row spacing recorded significantly higher NMC (1,00,953 ha-1), cane yield (67 t ha-1), sucrose content (16.9 %), purity (87.6 %) and CCS % (11.7 %). However, plant and ratoon cane yields did not differ significantly due to intercropping systems. MAI (1,66,755), net returns (` 2,05,155 ha-1) and B:C (2.14) were higher in sugarcane at 1.2 m + greenpea fb watermelon.
Total productivity of the intercropping systems showed that sugarcane at 1.2 m + greenpea fb ratoon + cucumber produced higher combined cane yield (187 t ha-1) along with 9 q ha-1 of greenpea and 44 q ha-1 of cucumber. Higher net returns (` 3,73,347 ha-1) were obtained in sugarcane at 1.2 m + onion fb ratoon + watermelon. Higher B:C was obtained in sugarcane at 1.2 m + onion fb ratoon + cucumber (3.87) and sugarcane at 1.2 m + greenpea fb ratoon + watermelon (3.87).