Author(s):

Jwel Bhuiya, Sasmita Behera and Subash Chandra Mohapatra

Abstract: The performance of three medicinal crops viz. Aloe vera, Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegh), Curcuma amda (Mango ginger) was studied in agrisilvicultural system involving two timber species (Acacia mangium and Gmelina arborea). This experiment was conducted at Agroforestry Research Station Bhubaneswar from 2016-18 in RBD. The two years mean data revealed that overall growth of Aloe vera crops was better when intercropped with trees than when grown in pure stand. Shade had absolutely no effect on the growth and economic yield of Aloe vera. The initial investment in Aloe vera was high due to cost of planting materials but the return was high. The Aloe vera recorded net returns of Rs. 70,430 and 62,892/ha with B:C 3.00 and 2.80 when intercropped with Acacia mangium and Gmelina arborea, respectively in the system, as against a net return of only Rs. 52,902 with B:C 2.51 when grown as a sole crop. High net returns and B:C were due to returns from sale of planting materials and there was no cost for planting material which was included in the cost of cultivation during second year of planting. Mango ginger and kalmegh recorded higher B:C when grown as sole crops than in the system. Soil analysis after annual harvesting from medicinal crops indicated that lower values of available N with mango ginger followed by Aloe vera and kalmegh, lower values of available P with Aloe vera followed by mango ginger and kalmegh and lower values of available K with kalmegh followed by Aloe vera and mango ginger the trend was similar in both the tree species grown. Mango ginger was found to be more exhaustive with higher uptake values of N, Aloe vera with P and kalmegh with K . Organic carbon in this system varied from 3.10 g/kg in Gmelina arborea + mango ginger to 4.70 g/kg in Acacia mangium + Aloe vera combination. Increase in soil reaction and organic carbon was evident due to tree species and crop combination. The available soil moisture content was found to be minimum with Acacia mangium. Better moisture storage was evident with Gmelina arborea. This corroborates competitiveness of Acacia mangium with its growth rate and higher soil moisture utilization as compared to other tree species. In agri-silvi system, minimum soil moisture content was observed with the annual crop kalmegh and maximum with Aloe vera. So this crop utilized available rainfall more efficiently than other crops.

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