Performance of medicinal plants and soil fertility under Bambusa nutans-based agroforestry system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth of bamboo and yield of medicinal plant under bamboo-based agroforestry system at Birsa Agricultural University Kanke, Ranchi Jharkhand. The experiment comprised with seven treatments viz.,T₁: Bamboo + Kalmegh; T₂: Bamboo + Ashwagandha; T₃: Bamboo + Sadabahar; T₄: Sole Bamboo; T₅: Sole Kalmegh; T₆: Sole Ashwagandha and T₇: Sole Sadabahar. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. The results revealed  that maximum culm height increment has been noted in T₄: Sole Bamboo 2.84 m followed by T₃: Bamboo + Sadabahar which was 2.81 m, and T₁: Bamboo + Kalmegh which was 2.50 m and minimum average culm height increment recorded in T₂: Bamboo + Ashwagandha which was noted to be 2.25 m. Maximum increment in diameter of 5^th internode growth of bamboo was seen in T₄: Sole Bamboo 0.45 cm followed by T₃: Bamboo + Sadabahar 0.38 cm andT₁: Bamboo + Kalmegh 0.37 cm and minimum found in T₂: Bamboo + Ashwagandha 0.29 cm. Net Return as compared to sole treatments viz., T₃: Bamboo + Sadabahar Rs. 40,557.60 ha^-1 followed by T₂: Bamboo + Ashwagandha Rs. 35,791.20 ha^-1, T₁: Bamboo + Kalmegh Rs. 34,144.18 ha^-1, T₄: Sole Bamboo Rs. 26,459.00 ha^-1, T₇: Sole Sadabahar Rs. 17,633.60 ha^-1, T₆: Sole Ashwagandha Rs. 11,930.00 ha^-1 and T₅: Sole Kalmegh Rs. 9,285.18 ha^-1 recorded lowest. Sole crops gave more benefit: cost ratio as compared to Combination crops. T₇: Sole Sadabahar with 3.52 followed by T₆: Sole Ashwagandha 1.83, T₅: Sole Kalmegh 1.54, T₃: Bamboo + Sadabahar 1.66, T₄: Sole Bamboo 1.34, and minimum was under T₁: Bamboo + Kalmegh and T₂: Bamboo + Ashwagandha both 1.32.