Production potential of wide row sugarcane intercropped with aggregatum onion (Allium cepa) under different row I ratios, fertilizer levels and population densities

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the main season of 1999 2001 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, to study the effect of increasing the row spacing of sugarcane ( Co 86032 ) to wide rcws while intercropping with Co 4 aggregatum onion (Allium cepa L.) under different row ratios and population levels with or without fertilizer application for the intercrop, on the performance of the component crops and the overall productivity and economics of the sugarcane aggregatum onion intercropping system. Increasing the row spacing up to 150 cm wide from the normal row spacing of 90 cm did not reduce the cane yields. But 120 cm wide row spacing was found optimum for higher cane and sugar yields. lntercropping of onion increased the total productivity (cane equivalent yield) and land use efficiency compared with sole crop of sugarcane. Adopting 120 cm wide rows for sugarcane and intercropping of higher population (333,000) of onion (1:4 ratio) with fertilizer application to both the component crops recorded higher productivity and economical returns. However, the total productivity and economics were also distinctly better in 150 cm wide row sugarcane intercropped with higher population 242,000lha of onion (1:4 ratio) than intercropping of onion at 1:2 ratio (222,000lha) in 90 cm row spaced cane. Levels of row spacing or intercropping of onion in the systems did not affect the juice quality of cane.