National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
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PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Intercropping has remained the focal point for sustained livelihood among fruit orchardists. Growing of two or more crops of different species at a particular time on same piece of land if termed as intercropping. It adds diversity to the farm plant population and results in increased cropping intensity and productivity of the orchards. Intercropping is especially taken up in the young orchards which are yet to reach a commercial bearing age. The interspace between the fruit crops is utilized for growing short duration cash crops which not only sustain the orchardist during the non-fruiting months of the main crop but also add to the fertility of the soil by enhancing the soil health. The nutrition and cultural activity have done in intercrops inturn benefits the main crop. In some instances, the intercrops act as cover crops and add to the organic carbon pool of the orchard soil. Vegetables are considered as the best intercrops because of the shallow root system, short duration, more market demand less competition with the main crop. In terms of profits earned per unit area, vegetables are considered to the best intercrops. Besides vegetables, flowers are also taken up as intercrops in the fruit orchards. Once the orchard comes in to commercial bearing, the cultivation of intercrops is replaced by cultivation of cover crops only. Hence it can be summarized that intercrops add value to the orchard soil, provide a sustainable income to the orchardist and improve the productivity of the main fruit crop. Intercropping has greater advantages that increases production, fruit quality chemical composition of fruits and reduces the fruit drop. This paper mainly discusses on effect of intercropping on soil health, soil fertility, growth parameters, physical and chemical composition of fruit and fruit yield.
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