Effect of intercropping system on yield, economics and land equivalent ratio of cabbage in the trans-gangetic plains of Punjab

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the winter season of 2022-2023 at vegetable experimental farm, Department of Agriculture, Khalsa College, Amritsar, Punjab to study the effect of intercropping system on yield, economics and Land equivalent ratio of cabbage in the trans-Gangetic plains of Punjab. The investigation was laid out in RBD with seven treatments replicated thrice with sole cabbage having a spacing of 60×45 cm. Sole cropping of cabbage recorded significantly maximum values for most of the yield characters like plant height, head circumference, marketable heads per plot, head weight, maximum head diameter, head height, cabbage yield per plot and yield per hectare. Economically, cabbage + radish intercropping B: C ratio (5.20) was adjudged as the best followed by sole cabbage cropping having B: C ratio (4.83). Also, the Land equivalent ratio (LER) was maximum in cabbage+radish intercropping 1.74 followed by cabbage + palak intercropping 1.43. Therefore, intercropping in cabbage results to maximize the yield and economics of cabbage farmers under Amritsar conditions. Inclusion of garden pea or radish in cabbage inter rows may be adopted by cabbage growers.