PSM 591 – Master’s Seminar(0+1)

ADVANCES IN DIFFERENT CROPPING SYSTEMS IN PLANTATION CROPS

G Darshan Balaji
Chairperson
2021533012
Dr. A Jaya Jasmine
Professor & Head, II M.Sc. Plantation,
HRS, Pechiparai Spices, Medicinal and
Aromatic crops
 Advisory committee
S. No. Particulars Name and Designation

Dr. A. Jaya Jasmine

Professor & Head
1. Chairman
Horticulture Research Station, Pechiparai,
Kanyakumari

Dr. D. Rajakumar
Associate Professor
2.
Horticulture Research Station, Pechiparai,
Kanyakumari
Dr. M. Mohanalakshmi
Associate Professor
3. Department of Spices and Plantation Crops
Members
HC & RI, TNAU, Coimbatore

Dr. G. Ashok Kumar

Assistant Professor
4.
Centre for Student’s Welfare,
TNAU, Coimbatore
 Topic division

Introduction

Classification of cropping system

Case studies

Future line of work

Conclusion
 Cropping system
 Cropping systems, an important
component of a farming system,
represents a cropping pattern used
on a farm and their interaction with
farm resources, other farm
enterprises, and available
technology, which determine their
makeup.
 Plantation crops interspaces
provide ample scope for mixed and
intercropping and about 70-75% of
the plantation area can be utilized
for cropping systems.

"If a better system is thine, impart it; if not, make use of mine." - Horace
 PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS OF CROPPING SYSTEMS

• Crops that complement each other

• Crops and a cropping rotation that utilizes available resources efficiently
• Maintain and enhance soil fertility
• Diverse species of crops in order to keep the soil covered
• Strategically plan and modify the cropping system as needed
 Objective of cropping system:

 Efficient utilization of all resources viz., land, water, and solar radiation maintains production stability
and obtains higher net returns
 The efficiency of the cropping system is measured by the quantity of produce obtained per unit
resource in a unit time
Benefits of Cropping system

 Maintain and enhance soil fertility

 Increase of total production in the field
 Enhance crop growth
 Minimize spread of disease
 Control weeds
 Inhibit insect and pest growth
 Increase soil cover
 Reduce risk for crop failure
 Classification of cropping system

• Monocropping
• Intensive cropping – 1. Multiple cropping
2. Intercropping
• Sequential cropping
 Types of cropping system
Monocropping is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop year after year
on the same land, in the absence of rotation through other crops. In case of
plantation crops a single crop is grown for a long period in a same piece of land.

Crops Planting distance Crops Planting distance

Tea 100x60 cm Coffee 2.75x2.75 m

Cocoa 2.7x2.7 m Rubber 4.9x4.9 m

Coconut 7.5x7.5 m Cashew 7x7 m

 Advantages Disadvantages

More time taken in production

Simple approach
Results in higher yields
Lowers the amount of extra land
required
It is efficient and more profitable
to the farmer
Early age of sole crops soil is
not utilized properly
Increased pest attack
Deplete soil nutrients
Results in the use of harmful
chemicals
Pollutes groundwater supplies
Adversely affects and alters the
natural ecosystem
 Sequential cropping

• Growing two or more crops are in succession one after another

• The succeeding crop is planted after the preceding crop has been harvested.
Crop intensification is only in time dimension.
There is no intercrop competition

 Double cropping: Growing of two crops in a year in sequence.

 Triple cropping: Growing of three crops in a year in sequence.
 Quadruple cropping: Growing of four crops in a year in sequence.
 Multiple Cropping

• The intensification of cropping in time and space dimensions.

• Growing two or more crops on the same piece of land in one calendar year is
known as multiple cropping.
• It includes inter-cropping, mixed-cropping, and Multi storage cropping.
• Double-cropping is a case where the land is occupied by two crops, which are
grown in a year in sequence.
Multiple cropping systems for weed management

Yield variation planting Gliricidia sepium

as an intercrop for weed control

TD Nuwarapaksha et al.,2022
 Types of multiple cropping

Intercropping Mixed cropping Multi storage cropping

Coconut with banana, black

Coconut with banana Coconut with turmeric
pepper and pineapple
 Criteria of inter cropping selection for plantation crops
• Care should be taken to select the crops with different growth habits, root growth,
duration and families.
• The following points to be considered while selecting crops for intercropping
system.

Plant age in orchard

a) Below 7 years of age
b) 7-20 years of age
c) Above 20 years of age
 Changing pattern of the canopy during the coconut palm lifespan. (a) Age less than 5
years, (b) age 5−20 years, and (c) age more than 20 years
TD Nuwarapaksha et al ., 2022
 Criteria of inter cropping selection for plantation crops

1. Tall growing crops with short-growing crops.(e.g. coconut + coffee)

2. Bushy crops with erect growing crops.(e.g. cocoa + maize)
3. Fast growing crops with slow-growing crops.(e.g. arecanut + banana)
4. Deep rooted crops with shallow-rooted crops.(e.g. cashew + coconut)
5. Short duration crops with long-duration crops.(e.g. papaya + coconut)
6. Crops should have least allelopathic effect.
7. Crops selected should be of different families to avoid pests and
diseases.(e.g. coffee + pepper + arecanut)
 Benefits of intercropping
1. Better utilization of resources
2. Economy in space and time
3. Suppression of weeds
4. Serves as insurance against failure of
any one of the component crops
5. Reduces hard pan formation
6. Improves soil fertility
7. Ecological stability
8. Controls soil erosion
9. Serves as physical support or
shading to some crops
10. Additional yield from per unit area
11. Additional income
12. Provides farmer's daily needs
13. Control of pests and diseases
 Limitations of intercropping

1. Labour intensive.
2. Differential maturity and problem in harvesting
3. Serves as alternate host for pest and diseases.
4. Control of pest, diseases and weeds is difficult.
5. Problem in intercultural operations.
6. Mechanization is difficult
7. Competitive effects among component crops.
8. Allelopathic effect.
 COCONUT WITH PAPAYA BASED INTERCROPPING
Treatment Composition

T1 40: 40: 80 g NPK

T2 2kg vermicompost + 200 g rock phosphate+ 100 g SOP
T3 1.25 kg vermicompost+ 600 g poultry manure 100g SOP
T4 1.25 kg vermicompost+ 500 g neem cake + green manure cow pea@ 10 kg fresh biomass plant-1

• One year old dwarf juvenile coconut with papaya

as intercrop, plants supplied with T2 produced
bigger fruits (1326 g fruit plant-1) with the VARIETIES OF PAPAYA
highest TSS content (10.22° Brix).
1. RED LADY
• The study of coconut plantations (40% area) of 2- 2. CO – 8
4 years T2 at bimonthly intervals. 3. ARKA PRABHAT
• The net income from papaya was 2,16,720/-, with
a benefit cost ratio of 2.72.
(CPCRI annual report 2016)
Red lady CO - 8 Arka Prabhat
 Coconut with fodder-legume based intercropping

• Coconut palms with fodder grass (Hybrid Bajra Napier cv. Suguna), Stylosanthes
(cv. Hamata) and cowpea (EC 4216). The highest green fodder yield of 132 t ha-1
year-1 was recorded in the combination of fodder grass and Stylosanthes.
• The average annual net returns from the coconut + fodder grass - legume cropping
system was Rs 2,06,000/ha/year whereas under mono cropping system, the net
income was Rs 44,720/ha/year indicating the possibility of increasing the farmers
income by four times with this technology.
 Coconut with Elephant foot yam-based intercropping
• In the field experiments on three different varieties of elephant foot yam
(Gajendra, Padma and Local) were evaluated as intercrop in the coconut garden
by adopting soil moisture conservation methods.
• The variety, Gajendra recorded higher corm yield (17.6 t/ha)
• In the case of soil moisture conservation, the husk and coir pith application as
amendments had significantly influenced yam yield.

Padma

(CPCRI annual report 2016)

 Mixed cropping
Mixed cropping needs to be designed in such a way that in case of any unfavorable
condition, at least one crop should have the competence to survive and produce
economic yield.
e.g arecanut based mixed cropping systems: Banana, cocoa, pepper, betel vine.
In North Eastern India, arecanut grows mostly in Assam, Meghalaya and parts of
Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland are adoption of mixed cropping system

Any mixed cropping system aims at -

 Producing higher yield per unit area.
 Offers greater stability in production under any weather condition,
 Meets the domestic need of the growers,
 Offers opportunity for employment generation.
 Equitable distribution of farm resources and
 Offers effective pest control and
 Use of soil resources under organic farming system.
 Multi-storey cropping system

• Refers to the compatible combination of crops having varying morphological

frame and rooting habits, grown together in such a way that, their canopies
intercept solar energy at varying heights and the roots forage the soil mass at
different zones/depths.
• In order to utilize the natural resources like light, soil and water efficiently for
sustainable production. Growing various suitable crops as intercrops in plantation
gardens.
In the initial 5 years of plantation, suitable inter crops are banana-turmeric-ginger-pineapple-
vegetables- papaya, etc., profitably grown with the enhancement of 20-30% coconut
productivity.

After 20-25 years, more than 40% of light falls on the ground and also have efficient shade.
Therefore, shade loving crops could be grown eg: Coconut + Black pepper + Cocoa
+Pineapple/ Turmeric / Ginger.
Plantation crops are perennial in nature and long pre-bearing period (Coconut,
Areca nut, Cashew)

• Crops have wider spacing and are tall growing

e.g: Coconut (7.5X7.5m), Areca nut (2.7X 2.7m), Oil palm (9X9m), and Cashew
Nut (7x7m).
• Crop geometry and rooting pattern among perennials, semi-perennials and annual
crops should be compatible without any adverse effect on main crops(Arecanut,
Cocoa, Banana, Ginger, Turmeric, Pineapple).
• Crops are shade-loving and tolerant to rain and high humidity (Banana, Cocoa,
Turmeric, Ginger, Pineapple, Pepper).
 The basic principles of multi-storey cropping system include:

(1) Opportunities for crop diversification on scientific, ecological &

economic principles
(2) Maximize system productivity;
(3) Utilization of resources with higher efficiency;
(4) Intensive input use and
(5) Sustainability of farm resources & environment on long term
perspective.
 Different Multi-Storied Cropping Systems
Coconut Based Cropping System at ICAR-CPCRI, Kasargod
Crops Spacing Space Root lines Use are in crops Land available
available for
each palm
Coconut 7.5x7.5 m 56.25 m² 12.57 m² 22.2% 77.8%
Coconut based high density multi species cropping system with high
value intercrops

Main crop Intercrop Intercrop

Coconut sweet corn, baby corn, brinjal Black pepper(Panniyur 1),

and pumpkin banana

• Economic analysis (based on annual variable cost) indicated that the net return
crops realized under fully organic was higher (Rs.2,15,953/-per annum)
SOME RESEARCH WORKS DONE IN
DIFFERENT CROPPING SYSTEM IN
PLANTATION CROPS
Case study 1

Multi Storied Cropping System in Horticulture-A Sustainable Land Use

Approach.

• The most popular and compatible multi storied cropping system in

coconut under coastal region in an area of one hectare
• This model recorded higher yield of coconut (20%) and net returns
compared to mono cropping of coconut, besides enhancing soil
fertility due to recycling of by products

Coconut + Cocoa + Banana + Drumstick + Pineapple with integrated

nutrient management at AICRP, Aliyar nagar

Nimbolkar et al. (2016)

Crops Spacing (m) Plants/ha Crops Spacing (m) Plants/ha

Coconut 7.5 X 7.5m 150 Cocoa 2.5 x 2m 525

Black pepper 1.25m 150 Pineapple 1-2 m 4900

Results

This cropping system with 75% NPK + organic recycling with Vermicompost recorded
highest nut yield of 182 per palm and the highest net income (Rs. 3.80 lakhs per ha) and
B:C ratio (2.71)
Case study 2
Effect of young tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O.Kuntze) on arecanut yield in intercropping
system

Arecanut yield intercroping with tea A Anjaneyulu and H Bhattacharjee (2019)

Result
• An experiment concluded that there was a positive effect of tea growing
as inter crop in arecanut garden, where as inter cropping of arecanut with
tea showed yield difference when compared with arecanut sole crop.

• Among the treatments T5 (Arecanut + Tea ((VC@1.0kg+RDF) recorded

maximum arecanut yield, whereas minimum arecanut yield was recorded
in treatment T1 (Arecanut+ Tea (control).

• When sole and intercrop yields were compared yield advantage was
noticed in intercropped with tea due to congenial microclimatic
conditions in arecanut based cropping system, improved microbial
activity and soil fertility
 Case study 3

Impact of intercropping of medicinal and aromatic plants with organic

farming approach on resource use efficiency in arecanut (Areca catechu L.)
plantation in India

(S. Sujatha et al .,2010)

 CROP FAMILY SPACING Price (Rs. Yield of MAPs
kg−1) (kg ha−1)
Vetiveria zizanoides Poaceae 45 × 30 45 (dry roots) 1066
Asparagus racemosus Liliaceae 60 × 60 10 (fresh roots) 10,666

Piper longum Linn. Piperaceae 60 × 60 80 (dry spikes) 231

Bacopa monnieri Scrophulariaceae 20 × 10 20 (dry 2070
herbage)
Catharanthus roseus (L.) Apocynaceae 30 × 20 10 (dry leaves) 2317 Leaf
394 Root
Aloe vera Liliaceae 60 × 45 2000/t fresh 15,490
leaves
Cymbopogon martini Poaceae 45 × 30 450 (oil 3249
Ocimum basilicum Lamiaceae 45 × 30 350 (oil) 8130
Artemisia pallens Asteraceae 30 × 15 8000 (oil) 5248
Pogostemon patchouli Lamiaceae 45 × 45 10 (fresh 9082
leaves)
Cymbopogon lexuous Poaceae 45 × 45 300 (oil) 8460
RESULTS :

• The study highlights that intensive cultivation of MAPs as understorey crops in

arecanut plantation requires maintenance of soil organic carbon in laterite soils.
• Growing of MAPs as intercrops in arecanut plantation had complementary effect
on base crop.
• Based on this 4-year study, farmers are advised to grow aromatic plants in large
areas on a community basis to meet huge industrial demand and variety of
medicinal crops in small areas based on local demand.
 Case study 4
System productivity enhancement in coconut (Cocos nucifera) garden by intercropping with flower
crops in Assam

• The field experiment was conducted at Horticultural Research Station, Kahikuchi

of Assam Agricultural University for four consecutive years (2012–13 to 2015–
16) to study the performance of flower crops as intercrop in adult coconut (Cocos
nucifera) garden spaced at 7.5 m × 7.5 m
Five commercial flower crops, viz.
1. Tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa) var. Single
2. Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) var. Red Monarch
3. Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) var. Glauca
4. Gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus) var. Oscar
5. Marigold (Tagetes erecta) var. Siracole along with a control (coconut monocrop)

J C NATH et al.,2019
Results
Economics of the intercropping system:
• The cropping system of coconut + gerbera recorded significantly higher net income of
3,80,075/ha and B:C ratio of 3.5
• Followed by coconut + tuberose with a net income of 3,23,420/ha and B:C ratio of 3.1
• The lowest net income ( 64050/ha) and B: C (1.6) ratio were obtained with coconut
alone as a monocrop
• Based on the performance and economics of the commercial flower crops, gerbera,
tuberose, gladiolus and marigold can be grown as remunerative flower crops in adult
coconut garden as intercrops without reduction in nut yield
 Case study 5

Influence of integrated nutrient management and high density multi-species

cropping system on soil properties, plant nutrition and yield in root (wilt) affected
coconut palm

• A field experiment was conducted at Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (Regional
Station), Kayamkulam, Kerala, India to study the effect of integrated nutrient management
and high density multi-species cropping system in root (wilt) affected garden on root (wilt)
index, yield of coconut palms and soil properties.

(H.P. Maheswarappa et al ., 2020)

Crops with population and planning year
Results :

• Integrated nutrient management practices coupled with adopting high density

multi-species cropping system under root (wilt) affected garden resulted in
improvement in growth of palms with reduction in the root (wilt) symptoms

• The increase in nut yield (five years’ average) was to the tune of 54.5%, 52%,
48.3 % and 40.9% under apparently healthy, disease early, disease middle and
disease advanced palms compared to pre-experimental yield

• There was improvement in soil properties like water holding capacity, organic
carbon, major and micronutrient status of the soil due to adoption of integrated
nutrient management practices and high-density multispecies cropping system
 Case study 6

Performance of flower crops as intercrops in coconut garden in southern

dry region of Karnataka

• An experiment was conducted for three years in a 40 year old coconut garden of Tiptur Tall
variety planted with a spacing of 10 m x 10 m to identify suitable flower crops for
intercropping in coconut gardens of southern dry region of Karnataka.
• Five flower crops viz., jasmine (Kakada), chrysanthemum, crossandra, China aster and
marigold were grown in the inter-row spaces of coconut.
• The number of leaves on the crown, annual leaf production, number of bunches and buttons
and nut yield of coconut were not significantly influenced by the flower crops grown in
coconut garden.

(Basavaraju et al., 2011)

Results

• This study indicates that flower crops can be grown as intercrops in coconut
without affecting the growth and yield of coconut.

• Earlier studies carried out in the southern dry region of Karnataka have also
showed maintenance or increase in nut yield of coconut with intercropping of
banana, french bean, ladies finger, drumstick, red gram and medicinal and
aromatic crops.
 Summary and conclusion

• Plantation crops are of long duration and the intermediate time prior to their yield
can be utilized by intercropping with various short duration crops suited for multi-
tier system.
• Generate employment opportunities to the farming communities round the year
and provide a better economic and nutritional security
• Better and sustainable use of the inputs, i.e., soil, water, air, space, solar radiation,
etc.
• Reduce insecurity of mono-cropping.
• Higher production, economic return and resource utilization.
• Channelizing the dynamic energy of rural youth towards conventional farming for
higher income generation and livelihood security.
 Reference

• ANNUAL REPORT 2017-18, ICAR-CENTRAL PLANTATION CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUT

KASARAGOD-671 L24, KERALA
• ARECANUT-BASED CROPPING/FARMING SYSTEMS, ICAR-CENTRAL PLANTATION
CROPS RESEARCH INSTITUTE KASARAGOD-671 L24, KERALA
• Shanmugavelu, K.G., Kumar, N. & Peter, K.V., 2002, Production Technology of Spices and
plantation Crops, Pp: 368-369.
• Ravindran, C.S., Nair, M. and Nedunchezhiyan, M. 2006. Intercropping tuber crops is
remunerative. Indian Horticulture, 51 (6): 25-27.
• Das, A.K. and Maharana, T. 1995. Effect of spacing and intercropping on bunch characters of
banana cv. Robusta. The Orissa Journal of Horticulture, 23 (1-2): 13-17
• Maheswarappa, H.P., Kumari, P.A., Kamalakshiamma, P.G. and Shanavas, M., 2005. Influence of
integrated nutrient management and high-density multi-species cropping system on soil properties,
plant nutrition and yield in root (wilt) affected coconut palms. Cord, 21(02), pp.34-34.