Growth, yield and economic analysis of eucalypts-barley based agroforestry system in semi-arid region of India

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out in the research area of Department of Forestry, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during the year 2017-18 to evaluate the effect of 2.8 years old already established eucalypts plantation at 7×3 m on growth, yield attributes and yield of barley. The maximum growth increment in plant height (14.1 m) and diameter at breast height (10.3 cm) of eucalypts was recorded under agroforestry than sole eucalypts (without crop). The maximum plant height (98.5 cm), dry matter accumulation (1098.3 g/m2), tillers/ m2 (360.5), grain yield (3.28 t/ha), straw yield (4.32 t/ha) and biological yield (7.60 t/ha) were observed at harvesting of barley in control (devoid of eucalypts trees) than barley intercropped with eucalypts. However, maximum number of days taken for spike emergence (50 %) (97.4 days) and days to maturity (139.4 days) of barley were recorded under eucalypts plantation. The average per cent reduction of 11.33 % in effective tillers/ m2, 15.15 % in spike length and 16.62 % in number of grains per spike in barley was recorded under eucalypts plantation over control. Maximum net return (Rs. 93347.1 ha-1) was observed under eucalypts + barley cropping system than control. The overall B:C ratio was calculated higher in eucalypts based agroforestry system (1.73) over control (1.15).