Prominent Intercroping Systems

Prominent Inter Cropping Systems

Potato + Maize

  • This system is most popular in north-eastern region, particularly in Bihar where cold is not severe during December and January.
  • In Patna, additional yield of maize (30-35 g/ha) can be obtained without affecting potato productivity.
  • Potato+ maize can also be grown in central, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
  • In this system, planting of maize crop is done along with planting of potato.
  • Suitable cultivars for winter maize like Laxmi, Protina, Deccan and Navjot are recommended for intercropping with potato.
  • One row of maize is altered after one row of potato with a row-to-row distance of 50 - 60cm. While plant-to-plant is kept as in normal crop.
  • In maize crop half dose of recommended N and full of P and K must be applied at the time of planting and remaining half dose of N should be applied after harvesting of potato
  • While for potato recommended full dose of N, P and K must be applied at the time of planting as earthing-up is not done.

Potato + Wheat

  • This system is mainly suitable for plains, where potato crop is grown with recommended package of practices and wheat crop is sown after first irrigation and earthing-up operations.
  • Suitable wheat cultivars (PBW 343, WH 542 and HD 2733) are sown at optimum moisture in furrows with application of half dose of N and full of P and K while remaining dose of N is applied after 20-25 days.
  • Potato is harvested during February-March at maturity and wheat is harvested by the end of April.

Table 1 : Yield potential of prominent intercropping systems.

Intercroping System
Yield Potential (q/ha)
Potato
Component Crop
Potato + Maize
150-175
30-35
Potato + Wheat
230-250
25-30
Potato + Lentil
200-250
7-8
Potato + Mustard
200-220
15-20
Potato + Linseed
175-200
5-6
Potato + Sugarcane
300-450
800-1000
Potato + Cucurbits
250-300
200-250
Potato + Onion (Seed)
200-210
6-8
Potato + French Bean
200-220
100-120
Potato + Garlic
200-220
90-100
Potato + Fenugreek (Seed)
200-210
15-20
Potato + Fennel (Seed)
200-220
3-5
Potato + Radish (Seed)
150-175
3-4

Potato + Legumes

  • Gram, pea, lentil, methi and faba bean provide an additional yield without additional inputs or affecting potato productivity adversely.
  • With bed system it is followed in Gujarat.
  • Legumes improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation and recycling of nutrients from subsoil layers, thus the system can be beneficial in terms of productivity and sustenance of soils.

Potato + Mustard

  • Mustard (RH 30, Luxmi and Varuna) and Gobhi Sarson (GSL 1 and Hyola 40 l) can be grown successfully with potato and the system has good yield potential.
  • Potato is raised as per recommendations, mustard is grown between ridges after 4 rows, Gobhi Sarson after 3 rows.
  • Basal application of total nutrients is done before sowing.

Potato + Linseed

  • This system is popular in central and eastern plain zone where linseed is grown in a 3:1 ratio along with potato raised with recommended package of practices.
  • The seeds are dibbled at 7-10 cm distance at a depth of 4-5 cm with hand hoe just after potato planting.
  • The crop is harvested at maturity in April.

Table 2 : Nutrient requirement of prominent intercrops.

Intercroping System
Nutrients (kg/ha)
Nitrogen
Phosphorous
Potassium
Potato + Maize
120
60
60
Potato + Wheat
40
15
20
Potato + Lentil
15
20
0
Potato + Mustard
30
20
0
Potato + Linseed
20
15
0
Potato + Sugarcane
75-100
40
30
Potato + Cucurbits
40
20
20
Potato + Onion (Seed)
45
30
20
Potato + French Bean
50
100
50
Potato + Garlic
100
50
50
Potato + Fenugreek (Seed)
15
20
25
Potato + Fennel (Seed)
50
25
0
Potato + Radish (Seed)
40
25
25

Potato + Sugarcane

  • This system has high yield potential in Indo-Gangetic plains and sugarcane growing regions of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh however, it is popular only in few pockets.
  • The main advantage is that one can achieve normal productivity of short duration potato crop which fits well as complementary crop in early period of slow growing sugarcane and 10-15 % improvement in cane yields due to efficient resource utilization in later phase of active growth.
  • The planting of both crops is done simultaneously in a 1:1 ratio.
  • The recommended practices for potato is followed and after its harvest normal sugarcane agro- technologies is adopted.
  • This system saves 50% of fertilizer doses in deep rooted sugarcane as it utilizes residuals of component crop better.
  • Mechanization of planting and harvesting of potatoes have made this system practically viable.

Potato + Cucurbits
Last modified: Tuesday, 8 November 2011, 9:26 AM