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Evaluation of alternate menthol mint(Mentha arvensis L.) based intensivecropping systems for Indo-Gangeticplains of north IndiaMan Singh a , Aparbal Singh a , Saudan Singh a & Muni Ram aa Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants , Lucknow ,IndiaPublished online: 19 Jul 2011.
To cite this article: Man Singh , Aparbal Singh , Saudan Singh & Muni Ram (2012) Evaluationof alternate menthol mint (Mentha arvensis L.) based intensive cropping systems for Indo-Gangetic plains of north India, Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 58:4, 411-421, DOI:10.1080/03650340.2010.528407
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2010.528407
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Evaluation of alternate menthol mint (Mentha arvensis L.) basedintensive cropping systems for Indo-Gangetic plains of north India
Man Singh*, Aparbal Singh, Saudan Singh and Muni Ram
Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India
(Received 22 June 2010; final version received 28 September 2010)
The objective of the study was to determine the profitability and employment-generation potential of different cropping systems involving menthol mint(Mentha arvensis L.) as a component of sequential/intercropping in comparisonwith the most common paddy–wheat–green gram cropping system. Fieldexperiments were conducted at Lucknow, India (268 50 N, 808 50 E and 120 mabove mean sea level) for three years from July 2004 to June 2007. Menthol mintyielded the maximum fresh shoot biomass and essential oil (21.0 t and 151 kgha71, respectively) grown after sweet basil (Ocimum basillicum)–potato followedby paddy–potato–menthol mint (18.9 t and 136 kg ha71, respectively) andmaize–mustard–menthol mint (17.7 t and 131 kg ha71, respectively). Net returnsof all the menthol-mint-based cropping systems were 82.6–354% higher thantraditional paddy–wheat–green gram cropping system. Maize–garlic–mentholmint þ okra was found to be most profitable (77,200 Rs ha71) followed bypigeon pea þ sweet basil–menthol mint þ okra (76,120 Rs ha71). Employment-generation efficiency was much higher in cropping systems involving mentholmint and vegetable crops, the highest (2.21 man days ha71 day71) being in amaize–cauliflower–onion–menthol mint þ okra cropping system.
Keywords: cropping system; Mentha arvensis; Indo-Gangetic plains; net return;employment generation
Introduction
In India, paddy–wheat rotation is the dominant cropping system across the Indo-Gangetic plains and in the Himalayan foot hills. Approximately 10.5 million haunder this cropping system contribute to nearly 25% of the total food grains inIndia. About 33% of paddy and 42% of wheat in India are grown in this rotation.The continuous growing of paddy–wheat for a longer period has resulted in yielddecline due to a decrease in soil fertility (Yadav and Kumar 2009). Yadav (1998)concluded that intensive and continuous cropping of paddy and wheat with fertilizernutrient has caused a sharp decline in soil organic carbon status. This is a majorcause of concern in many countries in the world targeting to increase or sustain thecurrent productivity level.
Menthol mint (Mentha arvensis L.) is an important cash crop in India. It hasbecome increasingly popular among smallholders. In India, mint is cultivated over asizeable area of 160,000 ha (Anonymous 2010) with an annual production of
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science
Vol. 58, No. 4, April 2012, 411–421
ISSN 0365-0340 print/ISSN 1476-3567 online
� 2012 Taylor & Francis
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2010.528407
http://www.tandfonline.com
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16,000 t of oil (Singh and Khanuja 2007) that accounts for 475% of total currentmenthol mint production in the world (Varshaney 2000). Today, India is the majorglobal producer and supplier of mint oil and its derivatives. About 10,000–12,000 tof essential oil of menthol mint and its derivatives, valued at 6000–8000 million Rs,are exported from India annually (Anonymous 2008).
The majority (*80%) of menthol mint growers in India are small and marginalfarmers holding 52 ha land, and mint is the major source of their livelihood. Mostof the cultivation and distillation operations are performed by family members.Therefore, in order to sustain production as well as the current level of export, itis essential that menthol mint cultivation continues to be profitable amongsmallholders.
In India, menthol mint is grown in most fertile land under assured inputs inwhich cropping intensity is 200–300%. In earlier studies, growing two crops (twoharvests) of sucker (stolen) panted Japanese/menthol mint in a year was mostremunerative, followed by maize–potato–mint and maize–toria (Brassica campestrisL. Var. toria)–mint. Randhawa and Bains (1982) and Randhawa et al. (1983) foundthat menthol mint could successfully follow potato, senji (Melilotus alba), toria oroats in sequence in Punjab. Menthol mint is planted in the second two weeks ofJanuary using suckers (Singh et al. 1979). As such, farmers willing to take up mintcultivation have to forego a major winter crop such as wheat, mustard, potato andvegetables. The planting of menthol mint in the months of March and April usingnursery-raised plantlets has been found to be successful and is being adopted by themajority of small and marginal mint growers in the Indo-Gangetic plains of northIndia (Ram and Kumar 1998; Singh et al. 1998a; Singh et al. 2003). Economics is thedominant factor influencing the adoption of cropping systems (Katsivairo and Cox2000). There is meager information on the comparative economics of differentcropping systems involving late transplanted menthol mint. The objective of thisstudy was to evaluate the economic and employment-generation potential ofdifferent menthol-mint-based cropping systems in comparison with a traditionalfood-crop-based (paddy–wheat–green gram) cropping system.
Material and methods
Experimental site and soil
Field experiments were conducted at the research farm of Central Institute ofMedicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, India (268 50 N, 808 50 E and 120 m abovemean sea level) for three years from July 2004 to June 2007. The soil (pH 7.7) ofthe experimental field was a sandy loam (Typic ustifluvent), with organic carbon0.4%, available N (alkaline KMnO4 extractable) 158 kg ha71, available P (0.5 MNaHCO3 extractable) 14.0 kg ha71 and available K (1 M NH4OAc extractable)150 kg ha71.
Climatic conditions
The experimental site is classified as a semi-arid subtropical zone with severe hotsummers and fairly cool winters. In this region, the monsoon normally sets from lastweek of June and continues until end of September with an average annual rainfallof 700 mm. About 80% of the monsoon rains are received in July and August.Winter also experiences some rains due to cyclonic disturbances in Arabic sea.
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Temperature in the day fluctuated from 26.1 to 44.58C; whereas the temperature atnight varied from 7.8 to 29.58C. The temperature was lowest during mid-Decemberto end of January and an increasing trend in mean temperature was noticed from thefirst week of February, reaching the highest values in mid May and declining onlyafter the onset of rains.
Treatments
Ten cropping systems, broadly two types: sequential and intercropping wereexamined. Details of crop varieties, maturity periods, sowing/planting time,spacing and fertilizers applied are given in Table 1 and details of treatments aregiven in Table 2. Food grain, pulse, oil seed, vegetable, spice and essential oilyielding crops, which are commonly grown by small-scale farmers in the northIndian plains, were included in the cropping systems. The first crops in each systemwere sown/planted during the first two weeks of July each year after the onset ofthe rains. Menthol mint was grown after harvesting potato, mustard and vegetablepea in mid March, after harvesting pigeon pea in first week of April, and in midApril in the remaining treatments. Forty-day-old plantlets of menthol mint weretransplanted at 60 6 15 cm spacing in flood-irrigated plots. In intercroppingtreatments, one row of sweet basil (Ocimum basillicum L.) and one row of okra(Abelmoschus esculentus L.) was planted/sown 4–5 days after sowing/planting inbetween the two rows of pigeon pea and menthol mint, respectively in additiveseries. All crops in sequential cropping received fertilizers, as given in Table 1. Thefull amount of P2O5 and K2O was applied as a basal dressing either 2–3 cm belowthe seeds or by mixing in the soil just before planting in all crops. No additionalfertilizer was applied to sweet basil and okra intercropped with pigeon pea andmenthol mint, respectively. In pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.), cowpea (Vignaunguiculata L. Walp.) and green gram (Vigna radiata L.) the whole amount of Nwas applied as basal. In other crops, N was applied in three equal splits; one-thirdas basal, one-third at 30 and one-third at 45–60 days after sowing/planting as a topdressing. The experiment was conducted under irrigated conditions. Most of theoperations, including layout preparation, sowing/planting, irrigation, weeding,harvesting, threshing and distillation of aromatic crops, were performed with thehelp of manual labor, except threshing of paddy, wheat and green gram, which wasperformed using a thresher.
Experimental design and analysis
In each year, the experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with threereplicates with an individual plot size of 8 6 6 m. Menthol mint oil and mentholmint oil equivalent yields were analysed statistically, although the yields of othercrops were not because of the very different types and amounts of yield produced.Cost of cultivation was calculated on the basis of the costs of different inputs,including land preparation, layout, seed, fertilizers, pesticides, planting, irrigation,harvesting, processing, labor cost, land rent and interest on working capital. Inintercropping treatments, only the costs of seeds, planting, harvesting and processingof the second crop were taken in to consideration. Gross returns and menthol mintequivalent yield were determined as the product of the prevailing market rates during2006–2007 and average 3-year yield of each crop within each rotation, including
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Table
1.
Varieties,daysto
maturity,spacing,sowing/plantingtimeandfertilizer
applied
todifferentcropsduring2004–2007.
Crop
Varieties
Daysto
maturity
Row-to-row
spacing(cm)
Within
row
spacing(cm)
Sowing/
plantingtime
Fertilizer
(N,P
2O
5,K
2O
kgha7
1)
Pigeonpea
Bahar
250
90
30
1st
weekJuly
25,50,50
Maize
Hybrid–Gangasafed7
270
45
20
1st
weekJuly
80,40,40
Paddy
Prasad
105
20
10
1st
weekJuly
120,60,60
Cowpea
Pusa
Komal
105
45
15
1st
weekJuly
25,50,50
Sweetbasil
Vikarsudha
80
45
30
1st
weekJuly
80,40,40
Mustard
Type-59
150
45
20
1st
weekOct
80,40,40
Potato
Kufri–Chandramukhi
105
45
15
1st
weekNov
120,60,60
Vegetable
pea
Arkel
120
30
10
Mid
Oct
25,50,50
Garlic
Local
180
15
10
Mid
Oct
120,60,60
Onion
Nasikred
90
15
10
Mid
Jan
80,40,40
Cauliflower
Snow
ball-16
95
45
30
Mid
Oct
60,40,40
Tomato
Pusa
ruby
135
45
30
Mid
Oct
120,60,60
Wheat
HD-2329
135
22.5
–Mid
Nov
120,60,60
Mentholmint
Kosi
90
60
15
Mid
Marto
mid
Apr
120,60,60
Okra
Arka–Anamika
105
60
15
Mid
Marto
mid
Apr
0,0,0
Green
gram
K-851
65
30
15
Mid
Apr
25,50,50
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Table
2.
Yield
from
variouscroppingsystem
s.
Croppingsystem
Totalduration
(day)
Yield
a
(tha71)
Straw
yield
b
(tha7
1)
Mentholmintoil
(kgha7
1)
Mentholmintfresh
shootbiomass
(tha7
1)
2004–2005
Paddy–wheat–green
gram
305
3.0–4.0–0.7
5.0
Paddy–potato–mentholmint
300
3.0–15.5
156
21.7
Sweetbasil–potato–mentholmint
275
0.07–15.5
185
25.7
Maize–mustard–mentholmint
310
1.2–3.0
3.6
123
17.1
Maize–vegetable
pea–mentholmint
280
1.2–5.0
3.6
127
17.7
Pigeonpea–mentholmint
340
3.8
15.8
110
15.5
Maize–garlic–mentholmintþ
okra
352
1.2–5.8–6.7
3.6
90
12.7
Maize–cauliflower–onion–mentholmintþ
okra
360
1.2–10.0–12.5–3.97
3.6
125
17.6
Pigeonpeaþ
sweetbasil–mentholmintþ
okra
355
3.2–0.02–4.95
13.2
80
11.3
Vegetable
cowpea–tomato–mentholmintþ
okra
345
0.7–14.5–6.69
95
13.4
LSD
(p¼
0.05)
12.0
1.7
2005–2006
Paddy–wheat–green
gram
305
3.5–3.5–0.4
5.0
Paddy–potato–mentholmint
300
3.5–13.5
150
20.8
Sweetbasil–potato–mentholmint
275
0.05–14.3
164
22.8
Maize–mustard–mentholmint
310
1.0–1.6
3.3
160
22.2
Maize–vegetable
pea–mentholmint
280
1.0–4.5
3.3
127
17.6
Pigeonpea–mentholmint
340
3.0
8.7
141
19.6
Maize–garlic–mentholmintþ
okra
352
1.0–6.83–1.35
3.3
106
14.9
Maize–cauliflower–onion–mentholmintþ
okra
360
1.0–10.0–12.2–1.65
3.3
103
14.5
Pigeonpeaþ
sweetbasil–mentholmintþ
okra
355
2.88–0.038–1.35
8.44
132
18.6
Vegetable
cowpea–tomato–mentholmintþ
okra
345
0.62–13.2–2.22
113
15.9
LSD
(p¼
0.05)
11.0
1.5
2006–2007
Paddy–wheat–green
gram
305
4.0–3.8–0.37
5.0
Paddy–potato–mentholmint
300
3.5–26.0
103
14.3
Sweetbasil–potato–mentholmint
275
0.075–26.0
104
14.4 (c
ontinued)
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Table
2.
(Continued).
Croppingsystem
Totalduration
(day)
Yield
a
(tha71)
Straw
yield
b
(tha7
1)
Mentholmintoil
(kgha7
1)
Mentholmintfresh
shootbiomass
(tha7
1)
Maize–mustard–mentholmint
310
1.1–1.5
3.2
100
13.9
Maize–vegetable
pea–mentholmint
280
1.1–4.8
3.2
108
15.0
Pigeonpea–mentholmint
340
2.5
13.0
97
13.5
Maize–garlic–mentholmintþ
okra
352
1.1–4.8–4.15
3.2
64
8.9
Maize–cauliflower–onion–mentholmintþ
okra
360
1.1–9.5–10.0–4.0
3.2
50
7.0
Pigeonpeaþ
sweetbasil–mentholmintþ
okra
355
2.61–0.025–6.7
11.7
62
8.2
Vegetab
lecowpea–tomato–m
entholmintþ
okra
345
0.65–12.5–3.15
88
12.4
LSD
(p¼
0.05)
1.4
Mean
Paddy–wheat–green
gram
305
3.5–3.77–0.49
5.0
Paddy–potato–mentholmint
300
3.3–18.33
136
18.9
Sweetbasil–potato–mentholmint
275
0.07–18.6
150
21.0
Maize–mustard–mentholmint
310
1.1–2.03
3.33
131
17.7
Maize–vegetable
pea–mentholmint
280
1.1–4.77
3.33
124
16.8
Pigeonpea–mentholmint
340
3.1
12.5
116
16.2
Maize–garlic–mentholmintþ
okra
352
1.1–5.81–4.07
3.33
87
12.2
Maize–cauliflower–onion–mentholmintþ
okra
360
1.1–9.83–11.57–3.21
3.33
93
13.0
Pigeonpeaþ
sweetbasil–mentholmintþ
okra
355
2.9–0.028–4.33
11.7
91
12.7
Vegetable
cowpea–tomato–mentholmintþ
okra
345
0.66–13.4–4.02
99
13.9
LSD
(p¼
0.05)
10.6
1.5
Note:aGrain
ofpaddy,maize,pigeonpea,wheat,mustard
andgreen
gram,tuber
ofpotato,freshfruit/podsofcowpea,tomato,pea,cauliflower
andokra,dry
bulbsofgarlic
andgreen
leafy
bulbsofonion,essentialoilofsw
eetbasil.
bDry
straw
ofwheat,strawþ
stalksofpigeonpea
andsemidry
stalk
ofmaize;
LSD,least
significantdifference.
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straw yield of wheat and stalks yield of pigeon pea and maize, which are valuable by-products. System productivity was worked out by dividing the mean menthol mintequivalent yield of a cropping system by total duration of the crops in that sequence.Land use efficiency (LUE) was calculated by dividing the total duration of acropping sequence by number of days (365) in a year and expressed in percentage.Sustainable yield index was computed for the sequences on the basis of menthol mintoil equivalent yield as follows:
Sustainable yield index ðSYIÞ
¼Mean menthol mint oil equivalent yield� standard deviation
Maximum menthol mint oil equivalent yield
Net returns for each crop within each rotation were calculated as the differencebetween the gross return and the cost of cultivation per hectare. Employment-generation efficiency and monetary return use efficiency were calculated by dividingthe total number of man months involved and the total net return of a sequence bythe number of days (365) in a year, respectively. The data on menthol mint freshbiomass and oil yield, menthol mint oil equivalent yield and net return were analysedstatistically as per standard procedure.
Results and discussion
Menthol mint fresh shoot biomass and essential oil yield
Menthol mint oil yield was significantly influenced by the preceding crops grown inthe rotations in all the three years (Table 2). Maximum fresh shoot biomass (25.7 tha71) and essential oil yield (185 kg ha71) of menthol mint were obtained whengrown in rotation with sweet basil–potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), particularly inthe first year (2004–2005), average values across the years were 21.0 t ha71 freshbiomass and 151 kg ha71 essential oil, followed by paddy (Oryza sativa L.)–potato–menthol mint (18.9 t biomass and 136 kg oil ha71), maize (Zea mays L.)–mustard(Brassica juncea L.)–menthol mint (17.7 t biomass and 131 kg oil ha71) and maize–vegetable pea (Pisum sativum L.)–menthol mint (16.8 t biomass and 124 kg oilha71). Intercropping of okra with menthol mint resulted in a 13.6–47.1% reductionin fresh biomass and a 14.7–42.4% reduction in menthol mint oil yield comparedwith sequential cropping; the highest reduction (47.1 and 42.4%) was recorded whenmenthol mint was grown in rotation with maize–garlic (Allium sativum L.) comparedwith sweet basil–potato–menthol mint sequential cropping. The highest fresh shootbiomass and essential oil yield of menthol mint in sequential cropping with sweetbasil–potato was due to timely (mid March) planting and the residual effect of higherdoses of fertilizers applied to potato (Singh A et al. 2006). In earlier studies, Singh Aet al. (1998a) also recorded a higher oil yield under mid March than mid Aprilplanting. The reduction in oil yield of menthol mint intercropped with okra was dueto competition for light, space, soil moisture and nutrients (Singh M et al.Forthcoming 2010).
System productivity
Pooled data indicated a significant variation in system productivity in terms ofmenthol mint oil equivalent yield of menthol-mint- and food-grain-based cropping
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systems. Among all the tested cropping systems, maize–garlic–menthol mint þ okraproduced the highest menthol mint oil equivalent yield (379.5 kg ha71 year71), anincrease of 131.8% over the yield (163.7 kg ha71 year71) recorded with a food-grain-based system (paddy–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–green gram) (Table 3)followed by pigeon pea þ sweet basil menthol mint þ okra, vegetable cowpea–tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)–menthol mint þ okra and sweet basil–potato–menthol mint. This indicates that menthol-mint-based cropping systems havean edge over a food-grain-based cropping system. Sweet basil–potato–mentholmint was significantly superior in terms of system productivity (1.23 kg mint oilha71 day71).
Sustainability and land use efficiency
Paddy–potato–menthol mint and maize–vegetable pea– menthol mint showed thehighest sustainable yield index (SYI) of 0.90 closely followed by maize–mustard–menthol mint and paddy–wheat–green gram (SYI ¼ 0.89 each), sweet basil–potato–menthol mint (SYI ¼ 0.88) and pigeon pea þ sweet basil–menthol mint þ okra(SYI ¼ 0.86). The lowest SYI of 0.64 was recorded in the maize–cauliflower(Brassica oleracea L.)–onion (Allium cepa L.)–menthol mint þ okra croppingsequence. The lower SYI in the above and other vegetable crop and pigeonpea-based cropping systems might be due to the adverse effects of weather, pests anddisease on the productivity of these crops because they are susceptible to adverseweather conditions, viz. storm, excess rainfall and frost, pests and diseases.
Land use efficiency (LUE) of maize–cauliflower–onion–menthol mint þ okrawas highest (99%), closely followed by maize–garlic–menthol mint þ okra andpigeon pea þ sweet basil–menthol mint þ okra (97%). Because of intensivecropping, LUE of menthol-mint-based intercropping systems was 490% comparedwith 75–85% for a sequential cropping systems (Table 3).
Employment-generation efficiency
Employment-generation efficiency was much higher in cropping systems involvingmenthol mint and vegetable crops (Table 3), the highest (2.21 man days ha71 day1)being in the maize–cauliflower–onion–menthol mint þ okra cropping system,followed by vegetable cowpea–tomato–menthol mint þ okra (2.05 man days ha71
day71) and maize–garlic–menthol mint þ okra ( 2.01man days ha71 day71). Thiswas due to the increased involvement of manpower in planting and harvestingvegetables and processing essential oil crops (menthol mint and sweet basil).
Economics
The economics for all the menthol-mint-based cropping systems were significantly,i.e. 82.6–354%, higher than the 17,000 Rs ha71 obtained from the traditionalpaddy–wheat–green gram cropping system found in the north Indian plains(Table 3). Maize–garlic–menthol mint þ okra was found to be most profitable(77,200 Rs ha71) followed by pigeon pea þ sweet basil–menthol mint þ okra(76,120 Rs ha71), because of the better selling price of garlic, okra, pigeon pea grainand stalk, menthol mint and sweet basil essential oil and the high yield of garlic(9.83 t ha71) and okra (44 t ha71). In earlier studies, intercropping of okra and
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Table
3.
Mentholmintoilequivalentyield,economicssystem
productivityandsustainabilityindex
ofdifferentcroppingsystem
s(3
yearmean).
Croppingsystem
Menthol
mintoil
equivalent
yield
(kgha71year7
1)
System
productivity
(kgha71day7
1)
Cost
of
cultivation
(6103Rsha71
year7
1)
Net
return
(6103Rsha71
year7
1)
B:C
ratio
Landuse
efficiency
(%)
Employment
generation
efficiency
(Mandays
ha7
1day71)
Monetary
return
use
efficiency
(Rsha71
day71)
Sustainability
index
Paddy–wheat–
green
gram
163.8
0.54
48.5
17.0
0.35
84
0.81
46.6.
0.89
Paddy–potato–
mentholmint
331.3
1.10
79.3
53.2
0.67
82
1.66
145.9
0.90
Sweetbasil–
potato–menthol
mint
339.3
1.23
80.1
55.6
0.69
75
1.66
152.3
0.88
Maize–mustard–
mentholmint
254.8
0.82
63.0
38.9
0.62
85
1.37
106.6
0.69
Maize–vegetable
pea–menthol
mint
240.1
0.86
65.0
31.0
0.48
77
1.74
85.1
0.90
Pigeonpea–
mentholmint
316.8
0.93
56.0
70.7
1.26
93
1.26
193.7
0.74
Maize–garlic–
mentholmint
þokra
379.5
1.08
74.6
77.2
1.03
97
2.01
211.5
0.78
Maize–cauliflower–
onion–menthol
mintþ
okra
321.0
0.89
83.5
44.9
0.54
99
2.21
123.0
0.64
Pigeonpeaþ
sweet
basil–menthol
mintþ
okra
349.1
0.98
63.5
76.1
1.20
97
1.97
208.5
0.86
Vegetable
cowpea–
tomato–menthol
mintþ
okra
341.0
0.99
70.1
66.3
0.95
95
2.05
181.7
0.78
LSD
(p¼
0.05)
18.5
0.07
5.2
Note:Saleprice
(Rskg71):Paddy,6;wheat,8;green
gram,15;maize,8;mustard,20;pigeonpea,20;potato,3;green
pea,8;cowpea,15;garlic,15;cauliflower,tomato
and
okra,5;green
leafy
onion,2;mentholmintoil,400;sw
eetbasiloil,300;wheatstraw,1.5;maizestalk,0.25;pigeonpea
stalkþ
straw,1.0.1$US¼
Rs46.0
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radish with menthol mint was found to be more profitable than sole cropping (Singhet al. 1998b; Singh et al. 2010). The benefit-to-cost (B:C) ratio was highest (1.26) withpigeon pea–menthol mint, closely followed by pigeon pea þ sweet basil–mentholmint þ okra (1.20). The lowest B:C ratio (0.35) remained the paddy–wheat–greengram cropping sequence. This may be because of higher production costs, resultingin a comparatively lower net return. The monetary return use efficiency of maize–garlic–menthol mint þ okra was highest (211.5 Rs ha71 day71), followed by pigeonpea þ sweet basil–menthol mint þ okra (208.5 Rs ha71 day71). The lowestmonetary return use efficiency (46.6 Rs ha71 day71) was recorded with thepaddy–wheat–green gram cropping system.
Conclusion
On the basis of results obtained in this study, the inclusion of menthol mint as asummer crop in an existing cropping system is suggested for higher productivity,economic return, sustainability and employment generation in the Indo-Gangeticplains of north India.
Acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to the Director, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants,Lucknow for providing facilities.
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