Traditional pandal agriculture of cucurbit vegetables utilises a relay intercropping approach with perennial Castor (Ricinus communis L.) to conserve resources

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Tapioca and Castor Research Station, Yethapur, Tamil Nadu during the Kharif seasons of 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 to determine whether perennial castor (Ricinus communis L.) traditional pandal cultivation is suitable for cucurbit vegetable relay intercropping systems. The results indicated that perennial castor + cucumber relay intercropping system produced the highest castor equivalent yield (1701 kg/ha), followed by the perennial castor + ridge gourd (1596 kg/ha). Perennial castor + cucumber relay intercropping system had the highest system productivity (4.66 kg/ha/day), system profitability (338.8 Rs/ha/day), and relative economic efficiency (198.5%) of all the cucurbits. Perennial castor and bitter gourd relay intercropping had the best moisture-use efficiency (6.58 kg/ha/mm), while perennial castor and bottle gourd relay intercropping came in second (6.35 kg/ha/mm). Relay intercropping of perennial castor and cucumber system registered higher net returns (Rs. 1,23,662 ha), followed by perennial castor and ridge gourd (Rs. 1,20,515 ha). The average seed output of perennial sole castor was 1312 kg/ha, which was higher than the other cropping systems, despite the fact that the monetary returns were only Rs 41,801 ha. The relay intercropping of perennial castor + ridge gourd (3.29) and perennial castor + bitter gourd (3.29), followed by perennial castor + cucumber (3.27), had the highest benefit-cost ratio.