Fundamentals of Horticulture (2+1)

Cultivation and Cover Crops

Cultivation and Cover Crops

• In areas where soil is eroded during rains and drainage is poor, soil is cultivated and cover crops are grown between the rows during rains.
• The crop may and may not be turned into soil.
• These crops not only increase water retaining capacity of soil and biological complex of the soil but also add organic matter when ploughed in besides checking erosion. As cover crops, legumes should be preferred because they add extra N in soil through fixation of atmospheric-N in their nodules.
• They also suppress weeds during rainy season.
• Crops like greengram, blackgram, cowpea, cluster bean, soybean should be preferred during kharif season while pea, fenugreek, broad bean and lentil can be preferred in winter season as cover crops.

Advantages

1. Adds organic matter in soil.
2. Improves soil condition.
3. Improves soil fertility.
4. Increases water retention capacity of soil.
5. Increases biological complexes of soil.
6. Checks soil erosion.
7. Checks nutrient losses through soil erosion.

Table: Intercrops in Different Horticultural Crops

Sl. No.	Crop	Duration for intercrop	Recommended Intercrops
1	Apple	4 years	Tomato, Cabbage, Beans, Strawberry, Early potato, Peach and Valeriana wallihi
2	Banana	5 months	Green gram, Cowpea, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Yam, Elephant foot, Onion, Black gram, Turmeric, Brinjal, Colocasia, Dioscoria, Chillies and Okra
3	Ber	2 years	Green gram, Moth, Cluster bean, Cowpea, Cumin and Chillies
4	Citrus	4 years	Beans, Carrots, Tomatoes, Berseem, Senji, Onion, Potato, Chillies, Pulses, Cucurbits, Okra, Gram, Peas, Potato and Cabbage
5	Date palm	5 years	Citrus medic , Guava and Sapota
6	Grape	1 year	Vegetables relevant to area.
7	Guava	3 years	Cauliflower, Peas, French bean, Cowpea, Cluster bean, Black gram, Green gram, Okra, Onion, Turmeric, Garlic, Cabbage, Chillies and Papaya
8	Litchi	7 years	Turmeric, Ginger, Pointed gourd, Sweet potato, Tomato, Radish, Cabbage, Turnip, Brinjal, Cucurbits, Green gram, Black gram and Cowpea.
9	Mango	5 years	Phalsa, Papaya, Guava, Banana, Peach, Strawberry, Pineapple, Cowpea, Cucurbits, Okra, Cabbage, Knolkhol, Beet, Onion, Carrot, Cauliflower, Tomato and Cluster bean.
10	Papaya	6-9 months	Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chillies, Radish and Tomato.
11	Peach	3-4 years	Soyabean, Pineapple, Cowpea and Turmeric.
12	Pomegranate	4 years	Berseem, Luceme, Cowpea, Green gram, Cucurbits, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bean, Peas, Tomato, Carrot, Onion, Potato and Brinjal.
13	Sapota	7 years	Banana, Papaya, Pineapple, Broad bean, Tomato, Brinjal, Cabbage and Cauliflower