INTERCROPPING OF LEGUMES AND VEGETABLES WITH RAIN-FED CASSAVA (MANIHOT-ESCULENTA)

An experiment was conducted during rainy seasons of 1986-88 to find ou t the most profitable cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)-based croppin g pattern for Konkan region. Cassava 'H 2304' was intercropped with 6 popularly grown crops, viz 'Sel 2-2' okra (Hibiscus esculentus L.), 'S indhkheda' blackgram (Phaseolus mungo L.), 'Pusa Naubahar' clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taubert], 'C 152' cowpea [Vigna unguicu lata (L.) Walp.], 'Contender' french bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and 'M 13' groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). Cassava monoculture gave signi ficantly highest tuber yield (26.16 tonnes/ha), followed by cassava cowpea (23.26 tonnes/ha) and cassava + blackgram intercropping (22.66 tonnes/ha). The intercropping systems reduced the tuberyield of cassav a than monoculture. Among various intercrops, okra (2 967 kg/ha), clus terbean (1 729 kg/ha) and french bean (1 886 kg/ha) performed better t han blackgram (369 kg/ha), cowpea (560 kg/ha) and groundnut (862 kg/ha ). Cassava + groundnut intercropping showed the highest cost : benefit ratio (1 : 1.44), followed by cassava monoculture (1 : 1.42) and cass ava + okra combination (1 : 1.39).