Effect of Row Ratio and Planting Methods on Growth, Water Use Efficiency, Yield and Economics of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Mentha (Mentha arvensis L.)

Abstract

This study examines the intercropping system of wheat and mentha involves the simultaneous cultivation of two or more crops on the same piece of land for higher land productivity. Japanese mint, a member of the Lamiaceae family, has a potent essential oil. Oil extracted from the leaves for use in aromatherapy, food flavouring, and medicine. Hence, a field experiment was conducted to study the effect of Row ratio and Planting methods on Growth, Yield Performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Mentha (Mentha arvensis L.) was conducted during 2016-17 at the Soil Conservation and Water Management Farm to investigate the response of mentha when intercropped with wheat under various row ratio and planting methods. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replication keeping one variety of Mentha ‘Shivalik’& Wheat ‘Unnat Halna’. The experiment consisting of nine treatments are T1: Sole Mentha direct sowing (50cm apart), T2: Sole Mentha transplanting (50cm apart), T3: Sole Wheat (25cm apart), T4: Wheat+Mentha (d, 1:1), T5: Wheat+Mentha (t, 1:1), T6:Wheat+Mentha (d, 2:2), T7:Wheat+Mentha (t, 2:2), T8: Wheat Paired+Mentha (d, 2:3), T9: Wheat Paired+Mentha (t, 2:3). The results indicated that Sole Wheat (T3) had the highest plant population (662.40 initially, 326 final), plant height (83.80 cm), and grain yield (39.80 q/ha) for wheat. In the case of mentha, Wheat Paired+Mentha (T8) exhibited the maximum final plant population (119.43), plant height (72.51 at maturity), and equivalent oil yield (189.05 l/ha). Wheat Paired+Mentha (T8) also recorded the highest total water use (647 mm), water use efficiency (0.292 kg/ha/mm of water), land equivalent ratio (1.50), and economic parameters such as gross return (228,868), net return (160,828), and B:C ratio (3.36). The maximum oil yield (163.35 l/ha) was found in Sole Mentha direct sowing (T1).