Comparative Productivity and Profitability of Banana Intercropping with Vegetables

Banana-Vegetable Intercropping Benefits

Abstract

Productivity and profitability of vegetables intercropping in banana-based cropping system was analyzed in farmer’s field of MLT site, Madhupur, Tangail in two consecutive years during 2020-21 and 2021-22 to find out a suitable intercrop combination of vegetables with banana for higher productivity and profitability. There were three intercrop-based treatments i.e., Banana + Potato, Banana +Cabbage+ Potato and Banana + Cauliflower + Potato along with Sole banana. Banana (Amrit Sagar), Cabbage (Parel), Cauliflower (Thirty-three) and Potato (Granola) were used as test materials. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with six dispersed replications. The unit plot size was 400 m². The results revealed that all the intercrops’ treatments produced higher banana equivalent yield over the sole banana. However, among the intercrop combinations, Banana + Cauliflower + Potato provided the highest equivalent yield (101.89 tha^-1 followed by Banana + cabbage + potato. Sole banana produced the lowest equivalent yield in both the cropping seasons. Higher gross margin (Tk.6,66,898 ha^-1) was also obtained from Banana + cauliflower + Potato treatment as well as higher BCR (3.79) than other intercrop treatments. So, the farmers of Madhupur Tracts (AEZ-28) and similar areas of Bangladesh could be suggested to cultivated cauliflower and potato as intercrop with banana instead of sole banana.

SAARC J. Agric., 22(2): 43-53 (2024)