RUBBER (HEVEA BRASILIENSIS) CINNAMON (CINNAMOMUMVERUM) INTERCROPPING SYSTEM:PERFORMANCE UNDER STANDARD INTER ROW SPACINGS OF RUBBER

摘要

The possibility of intercropping cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) with rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) planted with the standard inter row spacing of 8.1m was examined.Measurements of light availability and root length density of both the crops in the inter row space and the cinnamon bark yield and its components were recorded for eight years.PAR transmission from the rubber canopy into the middle of the inter row was reduced to 20.6 per cent by eighth year.The length density of fine roots (RLD in cm/1000 cm3) of rubber in the inter row increased from 6.4 in the third year to 175.8 in the eighth year in intercropped plots while those of control plots increased from 77.7 to 138.5.RLD of cinnamon in intercropped plots decreased from 51.8 in the third year to 33.5 in the eighth year.Length per stick,weight and bark yield of cinnamon also declined.The reduction in bark yield of cinnamon per bush was 70.5 per cent by the eighth year.The dry matter content of bark was highest (9.36%) when the light level was about 60 per cent.Adverse effects of poor light availability and competition from rubber on cinnamon at this spacing by fifth year were evident.