Efficacy of Vegetables Intercropping in Mulberry on Sericulture Productivity and Economy

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out in three (03) areas viz: experimental field of Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute (BSRTI), Rajshahi, 05 farmers field of Bholahat, Chapainawabganj and 05 farmers of Paba, Rajshahi during 2020–2022. The objective of this research was to assess the effect of vegetables intercropping in mulberry garden on sericulture productivity and economy. Randomized completely block design (RCBD) with 3 replications and 7 treatments which includes, T0 = Sole mulberry (Control) T1 = Mulberry + Potato, T2 = Mulberry + Cabbage, T3 = Mulberry + Cauliflower, T4 = Mulberry + Red amaranth, T5 = Mulberry + Spinach and T6 = Mulberry + Data shak. The growth and yield parameters of mulberry viz average branch number per plant, total leaf number per plant, total branches height per plant (cm), nodes per meter per plant, length of longest shoot (cm), leaf present per branch, 10 leaves area (cm2), total leaf weight per plant (g), total shoots weight per plant (g) and total leaf yield/ha/crop (mt) were higher in T1 (10.89, 1223.35, 753.12, 23.03, 118.16, 20.58, 537.98, 833.35, 402.84 and 10.37) followed by other treatments except control (12.3, 1365.77, 768.82, 23.62, 122.5, 23, 572.92, 901.03, 414.76 and 10.82), respectively. Leaf quality viz moisture, total chlorophyll, crude protein, total sugar, reducing sugar and mineral percentage were significantly higher in T3 (75.7, 38.8, 20.85, 6.48, 4.1 and 12.71) respectively over the T6 (74.86, 38.05, 19.61, 5.59, 3.12 and 11.1). The silk cocoon attributes like weight of 15 larvae (g), single cocoon weight (g), shell weight (g), cocoon shell ratio, highest filament length (m), renditta and cocoon productivity/100 dfls (kg) were higher also in T3 (53.46, 32.41, 0.21, 19.85, 977.84, 11.1 and 70.66) as compared to T6 (51.48, 31.42, 0.18, 18.24, 966.04, 12.31 and 69.24), respectively. The growing of Cauliflower as an intercrop was given maximum B: C (2.31) due to expansion soil fertility, higher leaf yield (except control), leaf quality, cocoon yield and additional income paralleled with other intercrops (cabbage-2.09, red amaranth-2.05, spinach-1.67, potato-1.49, sole mulberry-1.34 and data shak-1.22).