Feasibility Study of Marigold as Intercrop in Drumstick Cultivation for Interim Income Generation
Authors: Gopal G Venu , Rao N Venkateshwar , Mahesh L , Reddy D Srinivas , Vijay J 
Published: September 2024

Drumstick (Moringa oliefera Lam.) PKM-1(Annual) is an important perennial vegetable crop present cultivating in India not only as vegetable and for moringa leaf powder. India is the main producer of drumstick in the world because higher contribution is due to favourable temperature during flowering and fruit development stages. Even though encountered several production hurdles resulting greater yield loss due to existing climatic conditions during fruit developmental stages. But this crop gave them perfect assurance in giving good income in an average about 2-3 Lakhs rupees over a period of 2 years. Based on weather conditions farmers were being come forwarded by training programmes conducted by our KVK from 2017-till date, we have documented the farmers results by growing intercrops mainly marigold crop. Which gives good yield and good income to the farmers before pod formation of drumstick. Marigold is 110 days crop where drumstick gives first yield after 7 months. In between marigold crop not only giving accountable benefits to the farmers and it reduces the nematode problems in the field as well explained by Steiner, 1941 Marigold (Tagetes erecta) is one of the most widely studied plant genera due to its allelopathic potential against PPNs. Marigolds’ repressive impact on nematodes has been documented for over 50 years and some studies said that spiral (Helicotylenchus multicinctus) nematodes are responsible for yield losses of 30–60% in many banana-producing countries in the tropics (Davide, 1995, Speijer and Kajumba, 1996, Kashaija et al., 2004) . The partner crops of the intercropping system share space, water, and nutrients making the most efficient utilization of available resources (Xu et al., 2020). Earlier farmers were paddy growers where they didn’t see profits by selling paddy in IKP centers or as individual sales. So We conducted trails in Huzurabad Division and Errabelli villages of Karimnagar District (Old Karimnagar District), got successful results by doubling the farmer’s income. Raised marigold seedlings in KVK during June   month and supplied to the farmers. Transplanted marigold and Drumstick in July month with 60cm x60cm and Drumstick spacing was 3mx3m where 444 plants were accommodated in one acre area, Intercropping is an agricultural system that improves land use efficiency through simultaneous cultivation of more different crops in the same field using functional complementarity to increase resources utilization, increase the productivity of crops and nutrient-use efficiency (Chifflot et al., 2006; Zhan and Li, 2003) Even went through many hurdles in marigold and drumstick crops in rainy season due to paddy growing soils and water logging conditions. In this, observed positive effects on soil carbon and nitrogen of intercropping found in previous intercropping studies (Makumba et al., 2007), [1]. Results are as follows we harvested 36.80Q per acre in 8 pickings and after drumstick pods harvested from February up to June 134 pods per tree. It shows C: B ratio as drumstick (PKM1) contribution 1:11.7 and marigold (Tanindo (Yellow and Orange) contribution 1:4.3 to the farmers. The demonstration plots reported that yield of marigold and drumsticks are 38.6Q and 49.58Q per acre. Farmers got good income Rs. 2, 74,160.00 through two crops in one acre area with Marigold as inter crop in Drumstick plantation. Based on this success story of the farmers, NABARD bank started giving loans to the farmers and they published this success story in their credit linkage plan 2018-19.