Yield Potential and Economics of Chilli + Amaranth Intercropping System as Influenced by Plant Geometry and Fertigation

Background: Intercropping is a method of increasing cropping in order to increase productivity by mixing several crops and more effectively utilising the available resources. The productivity of intercropping systems can be increased by using the right planting geometry, together with effective nutrition and water management. Methods: The experiment was carried out at the Water Management Research Unit in Vellanikkara. The experiment was set up using a randomised block design that was triple duplicated. Two different planting geometries, normal row planting and paired row planting, three nutrient levels, or 100, 75 and 50% of the NPK recommendation for both crops as fertigation and two irrigation levels, or 100% Epan and 75% Epan, made up the treatments. Result: The yield of intercropped chilli was 41% lower than that of chilli grown as a pure crop, according to crop performance under the intercropping and pure crop systems. However, intercropping increased amaranth production by 17% compared to pure crop. Amaranth receives nutrients from the fertigation supplied to the chilli crop in addition to the fertigation of amaranth. Because of this, intercropped amaranth produced more dry matter; absorbed more nutrients and produced a better yield. Gross return, net return and B:C ratio was used to evaluate the economic advantage of the intercropping system. In comparison to pure crops of chilli (Rs.197716) and amaranth (Rs.24548), the net return of the chilli-amaranth intercropping system (Rs. 428212) was 116 per cent higher and 164 per cent higher, respectively. The study indicated that there is an effective utilization of space, nutrients and water when amaranth was raised as an intercrop with chilli.