Acta Horticulturae

Table 6. Effect of planting techniques on cabbage yield, profitability 1 and water use in
cabbage in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh (2005).
Yield Cultivation Gross Net Irrigation
Crop establishment methods cost returns returns water 2
(t ha -1 ) (Rs ha -1 ) (Rs ha -1 ) (Rs ha -1 ) (m 3 ha -1 )
Direct seeding on Beds-precision planter 29.5 28,000 59,000 31,000 3,600
Transplanting of seedlings on raised beds 30.0 30,500 60,000 29,500 3,600
Direct seeding on ridges (manual) 24.5 32,000 49,000 17,000 3,900
Transplanting on ridges (traditional) 25.0 32,500 50,000 17,500 3,900
1
Sale price of cabbage at Rs 2000 per t
2
Six irrigations were applied and cabbage was planted in 2 rows on 37 cm wide beds at the top
Figure 4. Maize-onion (left) and maize-gladiolus (right) intercropping on-farm trials in the
Indo-Ganges.
yield was higher when seeded with a precision
planter or transplanted on 37 cm wide raised
beds at the top as compared to traditional planting
on sloppy ridges (Table 6). High value vegetable
crops such as cabbage, English carrot or
red beets can be established by direct dry seeding
on the raised beds using a precision planter
attached to a tractor fitted with narrow
wheel tires. Net returns were almost half when
using the farmer practice of cabbage cultivation
on the ridges (Table 6). Planting two rows on
the top of the ridges (10-12 cm apart) increases
inter-row competition resulting in significantly
lower yield.
Farmer participatory trials were also conducted
using wider beds 100 cm on the top and with a
20 cm wide furrow used for irrigation.
Intercropping of red beets or cabbage with
baby corn on the wider raised beds (100 cm on
the top) did not adversely affect the yield of
baby corn or of the intercrops (Table 7).
However, crop compatibility was higher if red
beets were intercropped with baby corn than
with cabbage. It has been our experience that
productivity of red beets in corn intercropping
system was higher on wider beds than on the
narrow beds (37 cm wide on the tops). Red
beets planted on either sides of the corn gets
more space for light and nutrition for a healthy
growth.
trials using the raised bed planting technique
(narrow beds-37 cm top, Fig. 2). The maize was
sown in the centre of the beds with two rows
of intercrops (carrot, hot pepper, or red beet)
planted on the sides of the bed. Although the
yield of sole maize was highest, the profitability
was higher in maize + red beet intercrop. The
raised bed planting technique thus provides an
option for intercropping of high value cash
crops with row crops like maize during the winter
season.
English and local (desi) carrot were also compared
using two planting methods in on-farm
trials (Table 5). Bed planting outyielded the traditional
method of carrot planting, in which
seed is surface broadcasted followed by ridge
making with a ridger. Such a practice wastes
expensive seed, thereby lowering plant density
and yield. Maximum profitability was recorded
with English carrot grown on raised beds (Rs
68,000 ha -1 ), followed by desi carrot on beds
(Rs 64,400 ha -1 ). Furthermore, the wheat-equivalent
yield was much higher than the yield
of wheat generally reported in the region (4-5 t
ha -1 ). Water productivity of bed planting was
almost double the traditional system (Table 5).
Improved planting techniques also showed
potential for cabbage cultivation. Cabbage
CONCLUSION
Market and technological developments imply
an increasing scope for diversifying intensive
rice-wheat systems with horticultural crops in
the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia.
Horticultural crops also tend to have a positive
poverty reduction bias, being labor intensive
and small scale. There are, however, some challenges
to capital- and knowledge-intensive horticulture
that still need to be addressed in the
Indo-Ganges, e.g. access to land and resources,
maintaining the cold chain, market development
viz. a viz. bureaucracy and transaction
costs. The rice-wheat systems are also characterized
by a public incentive structure geared
towards these cereals, which are still the staple
food of the sub-continent. The relative prices of
cereal crops such as rice and wheat have
decreased over recent decades, eroding their
farming profitability. However, cereal price
decreases benefit the poor consumer, whereas
Table 7. Effect of intercropping systems on productivity and profitability 1 of baby corn and winter vegetables at Sikanderabad (2006).
Yield (t ha -1 ) Gross returns (Rs ha -1 )
Cropping system Production cost Net returns
Baby corn Intercrop Baby corn Intercrop Total (Rs ha -1 ) (Rs ha -1 )
Baby corn + red beets 0.85 25.5 63,750 76,500 140,250 26,500 113,750
Baby corn + cabbage 0.80 27.8 60,000 27,800 87,800 29,300 58,500
Baby corn sole 0.89 - 66,750 - 66,750 23,800 42,950
Beet root sole - 26.7 - 80,100 80,100 21,000 59,100
Cabbage sole - 29.5 - 29,500 29,500 25,000 4,500
Average 0.85 - 63,500 - 98,267 26,533 71,733
1
Sale price of baby corn at Rs 75,000 t -1 , beet root at Rs 3,000 t -1 , cabbage at Rs 1,000 t -1
ISHS • 30