Economic assessment of maize (Zea mays L.) – Spinach (Basella alba L.) intercropping system for improving the livelihood of smallholders’ in South-Asia

Abstract

Bangladesh in consecutive two years of 2015 and 2016 for evaluating the performance of maize and Indian spinach intercropping (MIS) under different row spacing for higher profitability through economic assessment. Five different cropping systems viz., T 1 : hybrid maize normal row along with one row of spinach, T 2 : hybrid maize paired row along with one row of spinach, T 3 : hybrid maize paired row along with two rows of spinach, T 4 : hybrid maize paired row along with three rows of spinach and T 5 : sole maize were included in this experiment. The performance of the component crops was evaluated regarding total grain and vegetable yield, competitive functions, and economic returns. The results indicate that yield and yield contributing characters of maize were not significantly affected by the intercrop of spinach at different ratios. Maize paired row along with three rows of spinach (IS) (T 4 ) combination had higher maize equivalent yield (11.06 t ha -1 ), gross return (US$ 1,499 ha -1 ), gross margin (US$ 564 ha -1 ) and benefitcost ratio (BCR) (2.07) than others treatments. This intercropping system also recorded higher land equivalent ratio, monetary advantage index, land equivalent coefficient, income equivalent ratio and area time equivalent ratio of 1.24, US$ 2,434 ha -1 , 0.30, 1.24 and 1.18, respectively. Hence, this cropping system may adopt in the smallholders' for getting maximum benefits in prevailing climate change.

Yield Advantage and Economic Performance of Rice–Maize, Rice–Soybean, and Maize–Soybean Intercropping in Rainfed Areas of Western Indonesia with a Wet Climate

“…IER > 1 denotes the intercropping system is advantageous. The formula for IER given by [48,49] is as follows:…”

The evaluation of agroforestry development in marginal land area of Gunungkidul, Indonesia

“…It also reduces the economic risk and market fluctuation resulting from growing a single crop that is more prone to natural hazards and helps the farmer's efficient land utilization by having more than one crop produced per unit area. Besides, it ensures the utilization of sunlight, components for their potential complementarity for crop production [18,19]. Planting intercropping will be able to increase farmers' income because by planting intercropping, the use of production facilities is more efficient so that production costs can be lower than monoculture cropping patterns [17].…”

“…According to the farmers, planting corn and peanuts has been a dry land farmer's culture for a long time, the cultivation is easy, the age is short (harvest fast), and the marketing is easy, although farmers admit that sometimes the selling price of corn and peanuts is very low. Maize (Zea mays L.) is considered an economically important cereal crop, a major ingredient for food, feed, and other products [19]. Corn plants have many uses, including young stems and leaves used for animal feed, old stems and leaves (after harvesting) are used for green manure/compost, corn stalks can be made for paper, young corn fruit is used as vegetable material, cakes and "bakwan" (traditional food), aged corn kernels are used as a substitute for rice, "marning" (fried corn), popcorn, bread and flour, dried leaves used for wrapping cigarettes [17].…”

Growth, Productivity, Competitive Ratio, Maize Equivalent Yield, Land Equivalent Ratio, and Profitability of Hybrid Maize as Influenced by Relay Cropping with Mukhikachu (Colocasia esculenta Schott.) during Rabi Season

“…Inter/relay cropping offers yield improvement relative to mono-cropping through improved yield stability and production per unit space in tropical and sub-tropical areas [7]. Maize-based relay cropping proved to be a timely new technology as it facilitated high economic returns that improved food security for the rising population in several developing countries [2,8,9]. Marginal farmers can benefit economically by adopting the technology.…”