Abstract:
By using natural resources and agricultural inputs more effectively, intercropping is a desirable technique to
boost crop output and economic return. The present study was conducted to figure out the most lucrative crop
mix for an intercropping system of cauliflower with red amaranth and radish leafy vegetable. A randomized
complete block design with three replications was used to set up the experiment. Treatments included nine
different cropping systems, including sole cauliflower, sole red amaranth, sole radish leafy vegetable, cauliflower red amaranth intercropping (1:1), cauliflower-leafy radish intercropping (1:1), cauliflower-red amaranth-leafy
radish intercropping (1:1:1), cauliflower-red amaranth-leafy radish intercropping (2:1:1), cauliflower-red
amaranth-leafy radish intercropping (1:2:1) and cauliflower-red amaranth-leafy radish intercropping (1:1:2)
Productivity parameters of three intercrops (cauliflower-red amaranth-leafy radish) were collected and measured
based on their yield and yield contributing traits in different stages of their growth upto the final harvest. And
equivalent yield and land ratio along with benefit cost ratio were analyzed to check their profitability. Result
illustrated that cauliflower, red amaranth and leafy radish produced the highest yield of 25.4, 13.5 and 18.6 tha-1
,
respectively when cultivated as a sole crop. However, when all of the three vegetables were grown as
intercropping in different cropping system, cauliflower with red amaranth and leafy radish (1:1:1) produced the
highest yield (33.2 tha-1
) followed by cauliflower-red amaranth-radish intercropping (1:2:1) and cauliflower-red
amaranth-radish intercropping (2:1:1) with the yield of 30.0 t ha-1
and 29.8 tha-1
. After assessing the productivity
and economic return, cauliflower with red amaranth and leafy radish (1:1:1) obtained the highest gross return
(997102 Tk ha-1
) and net return (512102 Tk ha-1
) using the highest land equivalent ratio (2.0) followed by 900900
Tk ha-1
and 435900 Tk ha-1
, respectively in the cropping system cauliflower-red amaranth-radish intercropping
(1:2:1). The present study concluded that intercropping leafy vegetables (red amaranth and leafy rad
