Evaluation of alternate menthol mint (Mentha arvensis L.) based intensive cropping systems for Indo-Gangetic plains of north India

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the profitability and employment-generation potential of different cropping systems involving menthol mint (Mentha arvensis L.) as a component of sequential/intercropping in comparison with the most common paddy–wheat–green gram cropping system. Field experiments were conducted at Lucknow, India (26° 5′ N, 80° 5′ E and 120 m above mean sea level) for three years from July 2004 to June 2007. Menthol mint yielded the maximum fresh shoot biomass and essential oil (21.0 t and 151 kg ha−1, respectively) grown after sweet basil (Ocimum basillicum)–potato followed by paddy–potato–menthol mint (18.9 t and 136 kg ha−1, respectively) and maize–mustard–menthol mint (17.7 t and 131 kg ha−1, respectively). Net returns of all the menthol-mint-based cropping systems were 82.6–354% higher than traditional paddy–wheat–green gram cropping system. Maize–garlic–menthol mint + okra was found to be most profitable (77,200 Rs ha−1) followed by pigeon pea + sweet basil–menthol mint + okra (76,120 Rs ha−1). Employment-generation efficiency was much higher in cropping systems involving menthol mint and vegetable crops, the highest (2.21 man days ha−1 day−1) being in a maize–cauliflower–onion–menthol mint + okra cropping system.