Evaluation of Efficiency of Baby Corn Based Vegetable Intercropping Systems

Aims: Experiment was conducted with the objectives to study the productivity, profitability and competition indices of intercropping systems and also to study the difference in progress of yellow vein mosaic virus in okra in sole and intercropping systems.

Study Design: Randomized Block Design with Four replications.

Place and Duration: The experiment was conducted in lower Gangetic alluvial zone of India at District Seed Farm (A-B Block), Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia, West Bengal during spring-summer season, 2013 and 2014.

Methodology: To achieve the objectives, in this experiment baby corn was taken as the base crop and it was intercropped with vegetables like cowpea, chilli, brinjal and okra.

Results: Significantly highest Baby corn Equivalent Yield (BEY) was exhibited by baby corn + cowpea (150.8 q ha-1) followed by baby corn + okra (122.6 q ha-1) and baby corn + brinjal (120.9 q ha-1). Also significantly highest Benefit: Cost (B:C) ratio was observed in baby corn + cowpea (3.34) intercropping followed by baby corn + okra (3.29), baby corn + brinjal (3.28) and baby corn + chilli (3.15). All the intercrop treatments recorded Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) values more than 1 and highest LER value was observed for baby corn + cowpea (1.60) system. Highest Monetary Advantage Index (MAI) was also found for baby corn + cowpea (37833.5) intercropping system stating that it was the most profitable among all the intercropping treatments. The total Relative Crowding Coefficient (Kt) values ranged from 2.36-12.80 suggesting yield advantage through intercropping. Positive Aggressivity values of baby corn (Ab) were showing that baby corn dominated the vegetable intercrops. Higher Competitive Ratio for baby corn (CRb) values (4.12-6.75) than Competitive Ratio for vegetables (CRv) (0.15-0.27) indicated the higher competitive ability of the baby corn for resources than vegetable intercrops. In okra, the lesser Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (YVMV) incidence and slow progress in disease at 30 and 60 DAS were observed in intercropping situation than sole cropped okra. Conclusion: Summing up all, the study indicated that baby corn based vegetable intercropping systems were productive and profitable than sole cropping and also baby corn acts as barrier to the movement of whitefly, aphids etc.