A Comparative Cost Analysis of with and without Chemical Weed Management Practices in Onion Production in the Western Agro Climatic Zone of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The study revealed that the expenditure on weeding in onion cultivation was six per cent higher in manually weeded farms than herbicide applied farms. The cost of weeding for manually weeded farm was Rs. 19,729/ha (15.15 per cent) whereas, it was Rs. 11,145/ha (9.44 per cent) in herbicide applied farms. The net returns (returns over cost C3 ) were Rs.1, 93,715/ ha for herbicide applied farms and Rs.1, 28,598/ha for manually weeded farms. The cost of production (per kg) was Rs.7.70 in manually weeded farms and Rs.5.98 per kg of onion in herbicide applied farms. Hence, per ha cost of cultivation in manually weeded farms was higher than herbicide applied farms. The partial budgeting analysis had revealed that an additional return of Rs. 70,982 /ha would be obtained with the use of herbicides in onion cultivation. The average yield obtained in manually weeded farms was lesser than (3, 874 kg/ ha) the yield obtained in herbicide applied conditions. The average prices, gross return, as well as the net return were remunerative and higher to farmers under herbicide applied farms than in manually weeded farms.