Production potential and economic feasibility of citronella based intercropping with Kharif maize and Bajra at different doses of fertilizer in central plain Zone of U.P. (India)

Abstract

It would be justified to accept that inter cropping system will attract increasing attention to overcome ecological constraints. Intercropping is an excellent technique to increase total yield, higher monitory return, greater resource utilization, risk management and to fulfil the diversified need of the farmers. The different farmers thus have more or less land, money and access to information and technologies. In short, it is the money or financial conditions that allow the farmers to take up different farming practices and agricultural technologies. There is a correlation between higher inputs and yield. Thus, the farmer’s purchasing capacity for inputs decides cropping system and production practices. Therefore, production practices can be at different levels. The experiment was laid out in randomize block design with 09 treatment of cropping systems with different combination [sole citronella, sole maize, sole bajra, citronella + Maize (100% RDF), citronella + Maize (75% RDF), citronella + Maize (50% RDF), citronella + bajra (100% RDF), citronella + bajra (75% RDF), citronella + bajra (50% RDF)], were replicated four time. Sole treatments with 100%RDF treated as control. Cultivation of citronella sole crop was superior over sole maize and sole bajra cropping system. In intercropping system the highest citronella equivalent oil yield was found in citronella + maize 100% RDF followed by 75% and 50% RDF system, respectively. The highest net return was found in citronella + maize 100% RDF and B:C ratio highest is sole citronella 3.79 followed by C+M with 50% RDF intercrop system with B:C ratio 3.75.