Productivity and profit enhancement through turmeric (Curcuma longa)intercropped with okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in Punjab
337 / 289
Authors
-
RAJENDER KUMAR
School of Organic and Natural Farming, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004, India
-
MANISHA THAKUR
School of Organic and Natural Farming, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004, India
-
VAJINDER PAL
School of Organic and Natural Farming, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab 141 004, India
Keywords:
Economics, Equivalent yield, Intercropping, Okra, TurmericAbstract
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.), a long-duration crop overlapping with the rainy (kharif) season, limits the growth period of subsequent winter (rabi) crops. To enhance income, intercropping with short-duration crops is viable due to turmeric’s slow initial growth, which leaves inter-row spaces uncovered for about four months. Therefore, an experiment was conducted during rainy (kharif) season of 2020 and 2021 at School of Organic and Natural Farming, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, Punjab to study the effects of intercropping okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) with turmeric on the growth, yield and profitability of primary crop and the intercropping system. The treatments, viz. Sole turmeric (30 cm × 20 cm spacing) flat planting (T1); Turmeric + okra in 2:1 flat planting (T2); Turmeric + okra in 3:1 flat planting (T3); Sole turmeric crop on 67.5 cm bed planting (T4); Turmeric + okra in 2:1 bed planting (T5); Turmeric + okra in 4:1 bed planting (T6); and Sole okra sown at 45 × 15 cm (T7) were tested under randomised block design (RBD) using three replications. The results revealed that intercropping of turmeric and okra in a 2:1 ratio, under either flat or bed planting methods, resulted in higher yields of both okra and turmeric. The experiment revealed that cultivating turmeric and okra in a 2:1 ratio on either flat or bed planting methods improved the yield, growth, and profitability of both crops. Over two years, this intercropping system achieved 300 and 304.2 q/ha equivalent fresh rhizome yield, 16.2 and 18.8% higher than sole turmeric planted, respectively under the same methods. The system also generated additional returns of ₹38,600 and ₹49,388/ha indicating the potential of okra as an intercrop to enhance productivity and profitability, especially for small farmers.
Downloads
References
Akamine H, Hossain A, Ishimine Y, Yogi K, Hokama K, Iraha Y and Aniya Y. 2007. Effect of application of N, P and K alone or in combination on growth, yield and curcumin content of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Plant Production Science 10: 151–54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1626/pps.10.151
Banik P, Midya A, Sarkar B K and Ghose S S. 2006. Wheat and chickpea intercropping systems in an additive series experiment: Advantages and weed smothering. European Journal of Agronomy 24: 325–32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2005.10.010
Bedoussac L, Journet E P, Hauggaard-Nielsen H, Naudin C, Corre-Hellou G, Jensen E S, Prieur L and Justes E. 2015. Ecological principles underlying the increase of productivity achieved by cereal-grain legume intercrops in organic farming: A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 35: 911–35. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-014-0277-7
Ehrmann J and Ritz K. 2014. Plant: soil interactions in temperate multi-cropping production systems. Plant and Soil 376: 1–29. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1921-8
Eskandari H and Ghanbari A. 2009. Intercropping of maize and cowpea as whole-crop forage: Effect of different planting pattern on total dry matter production and maize forage quality. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca 37: 152–55. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha3723230
Guo L, Zhou L, Mo G, Wang S and Huang L. 2015. Ecological agriculture: Future of good agriculture practice of Chinese materia medica. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi 40(17): 3360–66.
He Y, Ding N, Shi J, Wu M, Liao H and Xu J. 2013. Profiling of microbial PLFAs: Implications for interspecific interactions due to intercropping which increase phosphorus uptake in phosphorus limited acidic soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 57: 625–34. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2012.07.027
Hossain M A, Ishimine Y, Motomura K and Akamine H. 2005. Effects of planting pattern and spacing on growth and yield of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.). Plant Production Science 8: 95–105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1626/pps.8.95
Islam M R, Kamal M M, HossainM F, Azam M G and Islam M S. 2021. Productivity and profitability of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) + okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) intercropping system for marginal farmers in north-western part of Bangladesh. The Philippines Agricultural Scientist 104(2): 114–23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.62550/IDE13075020
Kumar R, Singh J and Uppal S K. 2015. Intercropping of medicinal and high value crops in autumn sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) hybrid for higher productivity and profitability. Indian Journal of Agronomy 60(1): 61–64. DOI: https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v60i1.4442
Kumar S, Singh H and Ram H. 2022. Resource efficiency and yield advantages of intercropping systems: A review. Journal of Crop Improvement 36(3): 215–30.
Patra D D and Purkayastha T. 2020. Intercropping for sustainable agriculture: A comprehensive review. Journal of Agriculture and Environment for International Development 114(1): 45–63.
Satpathy L and Parida P. 2024. Therapeutic role of Curcuma longa L. on pulmonary disorders: A review. Letters in Applied
Nanobioscience 13(1): 1–14.
Singh A, Weisser W W, Hanna R, Houmgny R and Zytynska S E. 2017. Reduce pests, enhance production: Benefits of intercropping at high densities for okra farmers in Cameroon. Pest Management Science 73(10): 2017–27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.4636
Singhshetty V, Patil S, Patil P, Kurubar A R, Ramesh G and Ananda N. 2025. Exploring turmeric potential as intercrop on some selected vegetables for sustainable production systems. Journal of Experimental Agriculture International 47(8): 106–17. doi: 10.9734/jeai/2025/v47i83653 DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/jeai/2025/v47i83653
Timmusk S, Behers L, Muthoni J, Muraya A and Aronsson A C. 2017. Perspectives and challenges of microbial application for crop improvement. Frontiers in Plant Science 8: 49. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.00049
Wezel A, Casagrande M, Celette F, Vian J F, Ferrer A and Peigne J. 2014. Agroecological practices for sustainable agriculture: A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 34: 1–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-013-0180-7
Wu D T, He Y, Fu M X, Gan R Y, Hu Y C, Peng L X, Zhao G and Zou L. 2022. Structural characteristics and biological activities of a pectic-polysaccharide from okra affected by ultrasound assisted metal-free Fenton reaction. Food Hydrocolloids 122: 107085. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2021.107085
Downloads
Submitted
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The copyright of the articles published in The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences is vested with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, which reserves the right to enter into any agreement with any organization in India or abroad, for reprography, photocopying, storage and dissemination of information. The Council has no objection to using the material, provided the information is not being utilized for commercial purposes and wherever the information is being used, proper credit is given to ICAR.
How to Cite
