Effect of Row Ratio and Planting Methods on Growth, Yield Performance of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Mentha (Mentha arvensis L.)

Abstract

This study was investigates the effects of row ratio and planting methods on the cultivation of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and mentha (Mentha arvensis L.). Mentha is also called Japanese mint, it is an important essential oil-bearing plant of the family Lamiaceae. Essential oil obtained from the leaves used in aromatherapy, flavour, and pharmaceutical industries. Hence, a field experiment was conducted during 2016-17 at the Soil Conservation and Water Management Farm to investigate the response of mentha when intercropped with wheat under various row ratios and planting methods. The trial was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications keeping one variety of Mentha ‘Shivalik’& Wheat ‘Halna’. The experiment consisting of nine treatments are T1:Sole Mentha direct sowing (50 cm apart), T2:sole mentha transplanting (50 cm apart), T3:sole wheat (25 cm apart), T4:wheat+mentha (1:1), T5:wheat+mentha (1:1), T6:wheat+mentha (2:2), T7:wheat+mentha (2:2), T8:wheat paired+mentha (2:3), T9: wheat paired+mentha (2:3). The results showed that the highest number of leaves per plant (457 at maturity) and number of branches per plant (80.97 at 90 DAS) were observed in Wheat Paired+Mentha (T9). The sole wheat (T3) exhibited the maximum number of tillers per plant in wheat (6.20). wheat+mentha (T4) had the highest yield attributes for wheat. The higher herbage yield of mentha (177 q/ha) was found in wheat+mentha (T7). Sole Mentha direct sowing (T1) gave the highest oil content (0.85%) and oil yield (163.35 l/ha) of mentha. The wheat paired+mentha (T8) recorded the highest equivalent oil yield (189.97 l/ha) and land equivalent ratio (1.50). However, sole wheat (T3) yielded the maximum grain yield (39.80 q/ha), straw yield (74.52 q/ha), and harvesting index (38.95%).