PERFORMANCE OF CAULIFLOWER AS INTERCROP UNDER MORINGA BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEM

Abstract

Cauliflower is one of the most important winter vegetable which can be grown in agroforestry system. An experiment was done to find out the effect of planting distances on growth, yield and yield attributing characters of cauliflower with four year old of Moringa tree. Randomized Complete Block Design was followed comprising of four treatments namely T 1 ii

, T 2 , T 3 and T 4 (50, 100, 150 cm distance from Moringa tree base and open field) with four replications. Maximum number of leaves (15.20), stem diameter (1.45 cm), full weight (753.68 g), curd weight (421.18 g), dry (19.98 g) weight of leaves, fresh weight of root (24.45 g) etc. were found in T 4

treatment. The lowest number of leaves (13.65), leaf length (31.23 cm), full weight (459.03 g), curd weight (290.58 g), fresh (155.23 g) and dry (13.53 g) weight of leaves were found in T 1 treatment. The second highest results were found in T 3

treatment such as leaf length (32.50 cm), leaf breadth (13.68 cm), stem diameter (1.30 cm), full weight (638.45 g), curd weight (391.85 g) etc. The highest Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) was found in T 3 treatment which was 1.89 and higher planting distance had positive correlation with almost all parameters. Estimated model predicted that optimum proximity of cauliflower from four year old Moringa tree would be approximately 250 cm. Hence, indicating farmer may cultivate cauliflower in association with four year old Moringa tree maintaining 250 cm distance (T 3

).