Economic Evaluation of Alternative Crops and Cropping Systems for Sugarcane under Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka

Abstract

This study examined alternative cropping systems for sugarcane in command areas by integrating different crops for sustaining the productivity and famers’ income throughout the year. A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Hukkeri, Belagavi, Karnataka, India during 2018-19 and 2019-20. There were 11 treatments involving different cropping systems viz., soybean - sorghum - ridge gourd, pigeon pea + green gram(1:1) - beans, pigeon pea + soybean(1:1) - cowpea, soybean - wheat - groundnut , groundnut - sorghum - sesame,  maize - cabbage - fallow , soybean - wheat - green gram, maize - wheat - sesame, Bt cotton - groundnut,  sugarcane + onion (1:2)  and sugarcane (sole) replicated thrice and laid out in randomized complete block design. The intercropping treatments were in additive series. Considering field crop + vegetable alternative cropping systems for sugarcane, maize-cabbage-fallow system recorded significantly higher net returns (Rs.2,49,923 ha-1) and B:C ratio (2.54) compared to rest of the cropping systems and sugarcane (sole) (Rs.1,21,919 ha-1 and 1.97, respectively). Based on alternative cropping systems involving only field crops, significantly higher net returns and B:C ratio were recorded compared to sugarcane (sole), from soybean-wheat-groundnut (Rs.1,51,651 ha-1 and 2.21), maize-wheat-sesame (Rs.1,50,231 ha-1 and 2.28), soybean-wheat-green gram (Rs.1,40,907 ha-1 and 2.29), Bt cotton-groundnut (Rs.1,33,519 ha-1 and 2.40) and sugarcane + onion (1:2) intercropping (Rs. 1,31,294 ha-1 and 1.52), respectively. As these alternative cropping systems are more productive, can be recommended as viable option to sugarcane monocropping in Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka.