Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECT OF INTERCROPS ON PRODUCTIVITY, QUALITY, LEAF NUTRIENT STATUS AND RELATIVE ECONOMIC YIELD OF APPLE CV. RED DELICIOUS

Rifat Bhat, W.M. Wani, M.K. Sharma, Aroosa, Nausheen Shafat A. Banday and Amit Kumar

Abstract

The present investigations were conducted to assess the effect of intercrops like maize, pea, strawberry, cabbage, red clover, french bean, oats and clean cultivation (control) on productivity, quality, leaf nutrient status and relative economic yield of apple cv. Red Delicious. The results obtained revealed that the intercrops of leguminous nature like (pea, red clover, french bean) resulted in higher productivity, better quality fruits and increased leaf nutrient content in apple as compared to heavy feeder(requiring high level of soil nutrients) crops like maize, oats, strawberry and cabbage. However the apple plants intercropped with control (clean cultivations) performed better than heavy feeder crops. The impact of intercrops on relative economics of apple (system equivalent yield) revealed that the apple plants intercropped with pea gave a net income of Rs 291814.00 per ha with benefit : cost ratio of 1.71 followed by cabbage Rs 224428.00 per ha with the benefit: cost ratio of 1.41 and red clover with a net income of Rs 232395.00 with benefit : cost ratio of Rs 1.40 respectively.