Performance and economics of medicinal crop (Psoralea corylifolia L.) under sapota-jatropha based horti-silviculture system Desai M.K.1*, Dobriyal M.J.2, Tandel M.B.1, Patel S.M.1 1ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396 450, Gujarat 2College of Horticulture and Forestry, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi-284 003, Uttar Pradesh. *Corresponding author's E-mail: tandelmb@nau.in
Online published on 27 May, 2021. Abstract Performance and economics of Babchi (Psoralea corylifolia L.) cultivation under sapota-jatropha based horti-silviculture system was investigated at Navsari, Gujarat, during 2015 and 2016. The 11-years old plantation of sapota (Manilkara achras (Mill.) Fosberg) planted at 10 × 10 m spacing, with nine year old plantation of jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) planted at 2.5 × 2.5 m spacing were used for intercropping. P. corylifolia was selected as an intercrop. The experiment was comprised of five treatments with four replications in randomized block design with analysis of the pooled data of two years. Cultivation of babchi under sapota-jatropha based horti-silviculture system resulted in significant increase in various growth as well as yield parameters as compared to sole crop. The pooled analysis showed that plant height (90.40 cm), number of branches per plant (19.88), number of leaves per plant (171.38), fresh weight per plant (91.33 g), dry weight per plant (27.48 g), number of racemes per plant (147.13), number of seeds per raceme (22.06), yield per plant (57.88 g), yield per plot (7.78 kg), yield per hectare (1510.00 kg) and total biomass (23.01 q/ha) were maximum in babchi with unpruned jatropha, followed by babchi with 50% pruned jatropha. The highest net realization and benefit: cost ratio was recorded in babchi with unpruned jatropha (Rs. 83, 743/ha and 1.98) under sapota-jatropha based horti-silviculture system as compared to babchi sole cropping. Top Keywords Agroforestry system, Economics, Growth parameters and yield parameters. Top |