Productivity and Profitability of Autumn Sugarcane and Brassica Crops based Intercropping Systems

The study evaluates the performance of autumn sugarcane and Brassica based intercropping systems with different weed management treatments. Experiment consisted of three cropping systems and six weed control treatments. The cane yield under gobhisarson and raya intercropped sugarcane were similar to that of sole sugarcane; whereas the cane equivalent yield, net profit and benefit cost ratio under the intercropping systems were observed to be higher than sole sugarcane. The intercropping of raya and gobhi-sarson in autumn sugarcane increased the net returns as compared to sole sugarcane crop by 73 and 32 per. cent, respectively. Application of pendimethalin 0.75 kg and alachlor 1.875 kg/haresulted in effective control of weeds in these intercropping systems and had the highest cane equivalent yield (100.4 t/ha), which was higher than weedy check (93.3 t/ha) and similar to that in both rates of alachlor and hand weeding. Pendimethalin 0.75 kg and alachlor 1.875 kg/ha had higher net returns and B-C ratio than the conventional practice of hand weeding and weedy check. Averaged over two years, the use of herbicides Increased the net returns by Rs 1775 to Rs 16,409/ha as campared to the weedy check.