Economic Assessment of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) through Intercropping

Abdul Rehman, Rafi Qamar, Jamshaid Qamar

Agronomy Section, Central Cotton Research Institute, Sakrand, Sindh, Pakistan.
Department of Agronomy, University College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan.

DOI: 10.4236/jacen.2014.33B004                

Abstract

Sugarcane has pronounced importance to provide sugar for more than half of the global population. World population is enhancing day-by-day and production land is in the worst situation. The cultivated land is diminishing rapidly due to urbanization, road construction, and land deterioration. This crisis demands alternate research to raise crop productivity and maximize the economic returns per unit land for feeding the gigantic population. Sugarcane is a long duration crop and gave late net economic return. Intercropping in sugarcane received much attention and need to properly manage for getting higher net return from same unit area. It is becoming popular among farming community due to resourcefully utilization of land. Intercropping has the potential to inspire the farmers to get maximum economic return per acre per annum. For intercropping, wheat, gram, soybean, and potato were used as an intercrop in September-sown sugarcane. Triple row strip planting geometry of sugarcane with four intercropped (SC + Wheat, SC + Gram, SC + Soybean, and SC + Potato) and check with sole SC was used. Sugarcane was planted during September 2011- 12 and 2012-13 at research area University College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. Randomized complete block design with three replications were used. Results showed that number of millable cane, cane diameter; unstripped and stripped cane yield and crop growth rate was significantly higher in sole sugarcane when compared with different intercrop in 2011-12 while trend was same in 2012-13. Cane diameter and un-stripped cane yield were statistically at par of intercrops SC + Soybean and SC + Potato while stripped cane yield of Sole SC and SC + Potato was statistically at par in 2012-13. In both the year of study, intercrops gave higher land equivalent ratio and net return over sole sugarcane planted while sole sugarcane gave maximum benefit cost ratio compared with other intercrops.

Keywords

World Population Stress, Sugarcane, Intercropping, Economic Return, Benefit Cost Ratio

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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