Vol. 12, Issue 3 (2023)

Author(s):
Kiran Emmiganur, PS Matiwade and SA Gaddanakeri

Abstract:
In the present-day context, organic sweet corn assuming greater importance due to its chemical free nature and has a big market potential. Weed menace is one of the major challenges under organic production system. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at All India Network Programme on Organic Farming (NPOF) unit at University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad on Vertisols with medium soil fertility during kharif 2020 and 2021 to find out suitable economical intercropping followed by in situ mulching and green leaf manure (GLM) for weed management in sweet corn under organic production system. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The treatment comprises of four intercrops viz., cowpea, green gram, sun hemp and sesbania with 1:1 proportion and were mulched at 35 DAS and three GLM viz., Gliricidia sepium, Pongamia pinnata and Cassia sericea @ 5 t ha^-1 were mulched at 18 DAS and Inter cultivation at 20 and 40 DAS followed by one hand weeding at 20 DAS, Weedy check, Weed free check. The results of the experiment indicated that intercropping with cowpea (1:1) and mulching at 35 DAS recorded significantly higher fresh cob yield (169 q ha^-1) and fresh fodder yield (343 q ha^-1) as compared to other treatments. However, these results were on par with intercropping with green gram (1:1) and mulched at 35 DAS. Among all the different smother/intercrops (mulching) and green leaf manure treatments, intercropping with cowpea (1:1) and mulching at 35 DAS (T₁) recorded higher gross returns and net returns per hectare (Rs. 3,05,237 and Rs. 2,31,315 ha^-1 ha^-1, respectively). B:C ratio (4.13) recorded significantly higher with intercropping with cowpea (1:1) and mulching at 35 DAS.