Economic viability and residual soil-nutrient status in chewing tobacco (Nicoti- ana tabacum)based cropping system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2002-03 to 2004-05 at Vedasandur, Tamil Nadu to study the economic viability of various chewing tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) based cropping systems and their effect on residual soil-nutrient status. The treatments consisted of six chewing tobacco-based cropping sequences, viz. r agi [ Eleusine coracana Gaertn]tobacco [ Nicotiana tabacum L.]sunflower [ Helianthus annuus L.]; sunnhemp [ Crotalaria juncea L.]tobaccosorghum fodder [ Sorghum bicolor L. Moench]; maize [ Zea mays L.]tobaccosun- flower; maizetobaccogroundnut [ Arachis hypogaea L. sunflowertobaccomaize; and sunflowertobacco groundnut with a sole tobacco crop. The leaf length and width, first grade leaf yield (FGLY) and total cured-leaf yield (TCLY) of rabi chewing tobacco increased with sunnhemp as a green-manure crop in kharif and with sor- ghum fodder in summer . The increase in FGLY and TCLY was 15 and 14%, respectively. Residual soil-nutrient sta- tus and uptake of nutrients by tobacco lamina improved with sunnhemptobaccosorghum fodder sequence. To- bacco leaf-equivalent yield (6.14 t/ha) increased with maize-chewing tobacco-groundnut sequence. Sunflowerto- baccogroundnut sequence significantly increased the net returns by 76% over sole tobacco. It was concluded that the sequence sunflower tobacco - groundnut was economically viable and the residual soil nutrients im- proved with sunnhemptobaccosorghum fodder sequence.