Hi- RETURN FARMING- BANANA WITH WATER MELON AS INTERCROP UNDER POLYTHENE MULCHING

[ramu1970]

Shown here is Banana with water melon as intercrop. ground mulched with polythene sheet . Banana takes 5 to 6 months to cover the ground . So water melon is planted as intercrop which comes to maturity and harvest in about 90 days . Banana spacing is 1.8 M * 1.8 M . In between watermelon is planted . Drip irrigation provides irrigation water to both banana and water melon simultaneously ..In 3 months water melons yields 18 MT per acre and was sold @ Rs.3500 per MT .It fetched Rs.63,000 in 3 months and Banana which numbered 1200 plants per acre fetched Rs.250 per bunch with monetary income of Rs.3.0 lac per acres in 12 month ..In a year Banana plus water melon gave Rs. 3.63 lac in a year.. This is farm gate price. Not a market price.A prudent farming practice will bring good return to the farmers

T.Ramu., B.Sc., ( Agri ) MBA
Agriculture officer
Department of Agriculture
Government of Tamilnadu
Chennai
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[agni44]

Shown here is Banana with water melon as intercrop. ground mulched with polythene sheet . Banana takes 5 to 6 months to cover the ground . So water melon is planted as intercrop which comes to maturity and harvest in about 90 days . Banana spacing is 1.8 M * 1.8 M . In between watermelon is planted . Drip irrigation provides irrigation water to both banana and water melon simultaneously ..In 3 months water melons yields 18 MT per acre and was sold @ Rs.3500 per MT .It fetched Rs.63,000 in 3 months and Banana which numbered 1200 plants per acre fetched Rs.250 per bunch with monetary income of Rs.3.0 lac per acres in 12 month ..In a year Banana plus water melon gave Rs. 3.63 lac in a year.. This is farm gate price. Not a market price.A prudent farming practice will bring good return to the farmers

T.Ramu., B.Sc., ( Agri ) MBA
Agriculture officer
Department of Agriculture
Government of Tamilnadu
Chennai
View attachment 9932View attachment 9931View attachment 9931

Dear sir how mulching is done by plastic sheets.... is it means covering land with plastic sheets in rows as shown in picture and plantation is done within that plastic sheets other land will be open for water melon to spread.

Kindly also advise when these plantation can be done in North India specially in UP & what is the total cost involve for 1 acre.

Pankaj Agnihotri

 

[orgagri]

Hi Mr. Ramu,

Very Nice to know about the innovative mixed farming of Banana with water melon.
I have a general question. Can we use the mulch for the subsequent crop if we have used the mulching for a single crop of water melon in the
first season? If yes, pls advice how to go on this... like which crop we can take up next, management practices etc...

Thanks,
Orgagri.