ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF SUGARCANE (Saccharum officinarum L.) INTERCROPPING WITH CANOLA (Brassica napus L.)

A study to compare the sugarcane yield and economics of sugarcane intercropped with the different densities of canola was carried out during 2008-09. The experiment was laid in Randomized Complete Block Design. The treatments included two row sugarcane sole strip, two rows sugarcane strip and single row of canola, two rows each of sugarcane and canola, two rows sugar cane strip and three rows of canola; and sole canola. The sole sugarcane gave significantly maximum biological and stripped cane yield of 164.0 and 102.2 t ha(-1), respectively, over the intercropped plots. Yield components of the sugarcane were also significantly (P<0.05) affected by the different treatments. The highest number of millable canes (279.5 thousand canes per ha(-1)), cane length (2.32 m) and stem girth (2.90 cm) was found in the sole sugarcane crop. Sugar recovery influenced non-significantly by different intercropped treatments; however, more sugar recovery (14.51%) was observed in the treatment with two rows each of sugarcane and canola. Comparing the economics of the treatments it was observed that treatment with two rows sugarcane sole strip gave benefit cost ratio of 2.29.