Productivity and Profitability Assessment of Lemon Based Agroforestry Systems in Bangladesh

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted from May 2017 to February 2018 at the research farm of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University to evaluate the performance and profitability of three seasonal (Broccoli, Cabbage and Okra) and two annual crops (ginger and turmeric) in lemon-based agroforestry systems. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated thrice. For seasonal crops the treatments were sole field (T0), 50 cm distance from tree base (DTB) with ginger (T1), 50 cm DTB with turmeric (T2), 100 cm DTB with ginger (T3) and 100 cm DTB with turmeric (T4). For annual crops (ginger and turmeric) the treatments were sole field (T0) and four distance regimes (50, 100, 150 and 200 cm) from the lemon tree base in agroforestry systems. The results of the study revealed that the yield of seasonal crops decreased and the yield of annual crops and perennial trees increased in agroforestry than respective sole cropping systems. The yield performance of crops component was significantly decreased with the decreasing distance towards tree base in agroforestry systems. The economic analysis showed that the net return, benefit-cost ratio (BCR) and land equivalent ratio (LER) was higher in the lemon-based agroforestry system than sole cropping. Therefore, the cultivation of cabbage, broccoli, okra, ginger and turmeric under lemon-based agroforestry systems are economically profitable.