Economics of wide row sugarcane intercropped with aggregatum onion (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) under garden land conditions

摘要

Field experiments were conducted in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during the main season planting of 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 to study the effect of aggregatum onion intercropping in wide row spaced sugarcane on the total productivity and economic advantage. Intercropping of aggregatum onion did not affect the yield of the base crop of sugarcane. The bulb yield of intercropped onion varied according to the population density adopted under different row spacings of sugarcane. The yield response of intercrop to the application of NPK fertilizers was significant only at the higher population density. The intercropping of aggregatum onion significantly increased the total productivity (CEY) as well as gross and net returns as comparedto sole crop of sugarcane. Adopting 120 cm wide row spacing for sugarcane and planting high density intercropping of aggregatum onion (1:4 ratio) recorded the maximum productivity and economic returns. The total productivity and monetary benefits under 150 cm wide row spaced cane was also superior compared to productivity under normal row spaced (90 cm) cane. The economic incides like Relative Net Return Index (RNRI) and the Monetary Equivalent Ratio (MER) were enhanced by 6.4 to 8.2 percent and 12.3 to17.0 percent respectively, indicating the economic efficiency of aggregatum onion intercropping, especially under wide row spaced cultivation of sugarcane.