TITLE:
Economic Assessment of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) through Intercropping
AUTHORS:
Abdul Rehman, Rafi Qamar, Jamshaid Qamar
KEYWORDS:
World Population Stress, Sugarcane, Intercropping, Economic Return, Benefit Cost Ratio
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Agricultural Chemistry and Environment,
Vol.3 No.3B,
July
31,
2014
ABSTRACT: Sugarcane has pronounced
importance to provide sugar for more than half of the global population. World
population is enhancing day-by-day and production land is in the worst
situation. The cultivated land is diminishing rapidly due to urbanization, road
construction, and land deterioration. This crisis demands alternate research to
raise crop productivity and maximize the economic returns per unit land for
feeding the gigantic population. Sugarcane is a long duration crop and gave
late net economic return. Intercropping in sugarcane received much attention
and need to properly manage for getting higher net return from same unit area.
It is becoming popular among farming community due to resourcefully utilization
of land. Intercropping has the potential to inspire the farmers to get maximum
economic return per acre per annum. For intercropping, wheat, gram, soybean,
and potato were used as an intercrop in September-sown sugarcane. Triple row
strip planting geometry of sugarcane with four intercropped (SC + Wheat, SC + Gram,
SC + Soybean, and SC + Potato) and check with sole SC was used. Sugarcane was
planted during September 2011- 12 and 2012-13 at research area University
College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. Randomized complete
block design with three replications were used. Results showed that number of
millable cane, cane diameter; unstripped and stripped cane yield and crop growth
rate was significantly higher in sole sugarcane when compared with different
intercrop in 2011-12 while trend was same in 2012-13. Cane diameter and
un-stripped cane yield were statistically at par of intercrops SC + Soybean and
SC + Potato while stripped cane yield of Sole SC and SC + Potato was
statistically at par in 2012-13. In both the year of study, intercrops gave
higher land equivalent ratio and net return over sole sugarcane planted while
sole sugarcane gave maximum benefit cost ratio compared with other intercrops.