Studies on intercropping of medicinal, aromatic and spice crops in poplar plantation Gill B.S.*, Singh A.1, Singh Devinder, Gandhi N. Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141 004. *Corresponding author: (E-mail: drbsgill@gmail.com)
1Present address: Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, PAU, Ludhiana, Punjab, 141 004. Abstract The performance of lemongrass, Tagetes minuta, turmeric, celery, coriander, fennel, dillseed, fenugreek, Mentha arvensis, Mentha spicata, sarson (Brassica napus L.) and wheat in compact poplar plantation (clone ‘Udai’) established in March 2004 at 5 m x 4 m spacing, was studied at Ludhiana. Results revealed that an increase in the age of poplar decreased the yield of crops. During 2004–05 the reduction in yield was more in crops like Mentha arvensis (64.9%), M. spicata (65.5%), coriander (26.7%) and Tagetes minuta (16.1%), but was less in lemongrass (2.6%), turmeric (1.1%), fennel (6.8%), dillseed (12.6%), fenugreek (7.1%), sarson (1.84%) and wheat (4.75%). During 2005–06 the reduction in the yield of lemongrass, Tagetes minuta, Mentha arvensis and M. spicata; and yield of turmeric rhizome, seed of coriander, fennel, dillseed, fenugreek, sarson and wheat was 6.55, 7.50, 60.5, 50.0, 40.6, 28.1, 43.9, 27.6, 37.4 and 34.4 and 32.7%, respectively in compact poplar plantation compared with that in sole or pure cultivation of these crops; and in 2006–07 it was 25.4, 39.3, 78.6, 77.0, 56.3, 70.4, 88.5, 79.6, 65.6, 85.9 and 67.2%, respectively. Top Key words Aromatic crops, Intercropping, Medicinal crops, Poplar plantation, Spice crops. Top |