Intercropping in banana with some vegetables under organic farming

A field experiment was conducted in RBD with four replications and nine treatments of intercropping with onion, garlic, radish and beet in banana. Effects of intercropping pattern was assessed by recording influence of treatments on growth, yield, quality parameters, nutrient content and uptake and post harvest soil fertility, physical and chemical properties of soil along with banana equivalent yield and economic feasibility of the system. All the intercrops viz. onion, garlic, radish and beet showed better performance with respect to growth parameters, yield attributes, yield and quality when applied with 100 % RDN. The nutrients content and uptake by the respective crops was also observed higher under 100 % RDN treatments as compared to 50 % RDN treatments.Economic assessment of the intercropping system indicated that banana + garlic with 100 % RDN was most profitable system under organic farming, which recorded higher banana equivalent yield (113.2 t ha-1) and net realization (Rs.6,42,545 ha-1), while benefit cost ratio (3.45) was maximum under intercropping of banana + onion with 50% RDN.