EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE CROPPING SYSTEMS FOR BIDI TOBACCO IN BLACK SOILS OF ANDHRA PRADESH

摘要

Bidi tobacco is continuously grown as a sole crop in traditional black cotton soils of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh during rabi on residual soil moisture. However, multiple cropping in tobacco has been advocated by many investigators (Harishu Kumar et al., 1992 and Chari etal, 1988) for increased production per unit area and unit time. If bidi tobacco is to be regulated, castor -summer groundnut or cotton - summer groundnut crop rotation was found to be better alternative in bidi tobacco growing areas of Gujarat (Patel et al, 2004). Regulation on bidi tobacco area and fluctuations in the market makes it necessary to reach out an operationally feasible and economically viable alternative cropping system to fallow - bidi tobacco cropping systemfor the benefit of traditional bidi tobacco farmers of Andhra Pradesh. Keeping this in view, the present investigation was carried out to find out more remunerative cropping system in place of fallow -bidi tobacco cropping system.