Effect of Cropping situations and Integrated Nutrient Management Practices on growth, yield, quality and Economics of growing carrot in Ber-based Cropping system Rani N.Sunanda, Ismail Syed, Reddy Y. Narayana Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, ANGRAU, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad-500 030. Abstract Carrot (cv. Early Nantes) was grown by underplanting and intercropping in fifteen year old ber (cv. Gola) plantation besides its sole cropping with different integrated untrient management practices viz., application of vermicopmost, neem cake, castor cake, and FYM in conjuction with inorganic fertilizers and also with inorganic fertilizers (NPK) only. Different cropping situations had a significant effect on the performance of associated carrot. Though the underplanted crop recorded significantly higher plant height (39.99) cm) shoot to root ratio (1.70) and girth (7.74 cm), fresh (40.48 g/pl) and dry weight (3.51 g/plant) carotene (3.96 mg/ 100g), total sugars (7.81%) and TSS cantent (11.99° brix) were lower compared sole crop of carrot. Further among the different INM practices application of neem cake and castor cake in combination with half the recommended dose of NPK recorded higher yield (14.71 and 15.86 t ha−1 respectively) and quality compared to other organic manures viz., vermicompost, FYM. The gross monetary returns in general were higher when carrot was intercropped in ber (Rs. 61,761 ha−1) and underplanted carrot (Rs. 56.872 ha−1). In general, the benefit cost ratio was found to be greater than unity in all treatments indicating fairly higher returns on every rupee invested. The Income Equivalent Ratio (IER) in ber based cropping system was also greater than unity indicating advantage of either underplanting or intercropping of carrot with ber over its sole cropping. Top Keywords Inter cropping, Carrot ber cropping system, INM practices. Top |