Abstract
A field experiment was conducted at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Ishurdi, Pabna during two consecutive years of 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 to find out the suitable combination of intercropping of chili with sweet gourd for increasing the productivity and economic return. The treatments were T1=100% sweet gourd (2m x 2m) + 40% chili (50cm x 100cm) + 100% recommended fertilizer (RF) of chili, T2=100% sweet gourd (2m x 2m) + 40% chili (50cm x 100cm) + 75% RF of chili, T3=100% sweet gourd (2m x 2m) + 40% chili (50cm x 100cm) + 50% RF of chili, T4=100% sweet gourd (2m x 2m) + 50% chili (50cm x 80cm) + 100% RF of chili, T5=100% sweet gourd (2m x 2m) + 50% chili (50cm x 80cm) + 75% RF of chili, T6=100% sweet gourd (2m x 2m) + 50% chili (50cm x 80cm) + 50% RF of chili, T7=Sole sweet gourd, T8= Sole chili. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Fruit yield was calculated for sweet gourd and chili in ton per hectare considering the whole plot as harvested area. Results revealed that the yield of both sweet gourd and chili significantly affected by plant population and fertilizer dose in the intercropping systems. The highest equivalent yield of sweet gourd (21.21 t ha-1), land equivalent ratio (1.59), gross return (Tk. 318150.00 ha-1), gross margin (Tk. 237935.00 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (3.97) were obtained from 100% sweet gourd (2m x 2m) + 50% chili (50cm x 80cm) + 100% RF of chili (T4). Sole crop of chili (T8) gave the lowest equivalent yield of sweet gourd (7.38 t ha-1), gross return (Tk. 110700.00 ha-1), gross margin (Tk. 37455.00 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (1.51). Therefore, sweet gourd (100%) and chili (50%) with recommended fertilizer (100%) of chili might be economically profitable for chili with sweet gourd intercropping system.Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 5 (2): 64-69, December, 2015
Highlights
Bangladesh is an agricultural country and contributes 16.33% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country (BBS, 2014)
A field experiment was conducted at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Ishurdi, Pabna during rabi season of 2012-2013 and 20132014 for the suitable combination of intercropping of chili with sweet gourd for increasing the productivity and economic return
Fifty per cent of nitrogen and all other fertilizers for sole chili were applied at the time of final land preparation and rest amount of nitrogen was applied at three installments of 25, 50 and 70 days after planting (DAP)
Summary
Bangladesh is an agricultural country and contributes 16.33% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country (BBS, 2014). Green chili is rich in vitamin A and vitamin C (Datta and Jana, 2010) and in ‘rutin’ which is of immense pharmaceutical need (Purseglove, 1977) Sweet gourd is another important vegetable crop grown extensively throughout the tropical and subtropical countries. Sweet gourd are rich in carbohydrate and minerals and cheaper source of vitamins, especially carotenoid pigments, which have a major role in nutrition in the form of provitamin A, antioxidants, when used at ripening stage (Dutta et al, 2006) This vegetable can contribute to improve nutritional status of the people of Bangladesh, the vulnerable group in respect of vitamin A requirement
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