Feasibility of papaya-banana relay cropping under organic farming

Abstract

Quality of manure, pests-diseases, market price fluctuation, possibilities of low yield and in present scenario climate change pattern have a great impact on organic farming. Focusing on these, a field experiment was conducted to study the feasibility of papaya-banana relay cropping under organic farming at Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat) in randomized block design comprising of eight treatments with four replications during kharif of 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. Results were statistically analyzed. Pooled data showed that application of BC:VC:CC (25%N:40%N:15%N) + BPS @ 2.0 l/plant (T8) significantly increased plant height (139.2 cm), fruit weight (1.06 kg) and fruit yield (64.7 t/ha) of papaya. Though the maximum number of fruits per plant was significantly higher in treatment T6 (BC:VC:CC-25%N:40%N:15%N) but was at par with treatment T8. Fruit quality of papaya i.e. acidity, ascorbic acid, TSS, reducing sugar and self life were also affected significantly due to treatments but the results of quality parameters of fruit were found very conspicuous and no uniform trend was observed. In banana crop, maximum plant height (180.6 cm) was observed with BC:VC:CC (50%N:40%N:00%N) + BPS @ 1.0 l/plant (T4) which was at par with treatments T3, T6, T7 and T8. Some yield attributing characters were also significantly affected due to treatment effects and maximum fingers per bunch were noted with the treatment T8 which was at par with treatments T2, T4 and T7 while, maximum bunch weight and yield were found significantly higher with treatment T2 (BC:VC:CC -50%N:00%N:50%N) and T8, respectively. Maximum acidity in banana fruit was found in treatments T6 and T7 which were at par with most of the other treatments. Considering net income, treatment T8 showed economically viable in papaya and banana as a sole crop and also in papaya-banana relay system under organic farming.