Performance and profitability study of different mango based intercropping systems in Easternghat high land

170 Mango is one of the most important and widely cultivated tropical fruits of the world. In India, it is grown in an area of 23.78 lakh hectares with an annual production of 161.98 lakh tones (Indian Horticulture Database-2012). This contributes to 37.8 per cent of total area and 18.6 per cent of total production of fruit crops in India. The plant start bearing 4 to 5 years after planting and reach their maximum bearing capacity within 12-15 years after planting. The mango plants when planted at a spacing of 10 × 10m provide an ample scope for growing of short duration crops as intercrops during initial years. The inter row space in mango remains underutilized in the early growing period and during which short duration, location specific and market driven crops may be grown as intercrops and filler crops thus, allowing one to grow more than one crop and also to efficiently utilize the space and other natural resources. The intercrops not only generate an extra income but the practice also helps to check the soil erosion through ground coverage and improves the physico-chemical properties of the soil. Intercropping is one of the techniques of land utilization for optimum production (Bhattanagar et al.2007). Experimental evidences have also proved that yield stability is grater with intercropping than sole cropping. Intercropping can provide substantial yield advantages compared with sole cropping. However, the success of intercropping system depends mainly on selection of suitable crops. Therefore, an on-farm trial was conducted on intercropping in a junior adult bearing mango orchard under rainfed upland situation to study the effect of intercropping on main crop mango and filler crop guava and to select the most appropriate intercropping system.