Multitier cropping system for profitable resource conservation and sustainable management of sloping lands of eastern India

A field experiment was conducted at Research farm of CSWCRTI, Research centre, Sunabeda in District Koraput of Odisha during 2007 -2010 in Kharif season on silty loam red lateritic soil with an objective to access the effect of different Multitier cropping systems on runoff, soil-nutrient loss and economics. The experiment had ten treatments consisting of the combinations of fruit tree papaya (Carica papaya) with boundary plantation of forest shrub Le. Gliricidia sepium and annual crops ginger (Zingiber offcinale), farmers’ practice of broadcasting, line sowing of ragi (Elusine coracana) and their intercropping ratios. The treatments were set in a randomized complete block design replicated thrice. In comparison to farmers’ practice of broadcasting; line sowing of ragi decreased runoff and erosion by 23 and 15%, respectively. Among different treatments multitier cropping of ginger: pigeonpea yielded minimum runoff of 45.2 mm. Square plantation of papaya in sole ragi and intercropped ragi: pigeonpea (6:2) plots with boundary plantation of Gliricidia on bunds reduced net soil loss by 36 and 45%. Cultivated fallow reported maximum nutrient loss to the tune of 109.9, 0.31 and 10.70 kg ha⁻¹ for Organic carbon (OC, Phosphorus (P) and Potassium, respectively. Sole ginger and ginger intercropped with pigeonpea in papaya + Gliricidia system recorded 58 and 41% lower OC loss than the farmers’ practice of ragi broadcasting. Multitier cropping of papaya + Gliricidia with ginger: pigeonpea intercropping recorded highest values enrichment ratio for OC and P to the tune of 2.25 and 4.56, respectively. Ginger, pigeonpea and ragi recorded an increase of 23, 14.4 and 25.8% in Cation Exchange Capacity, when raised under multitier cropping system. In comparison to ragi sole cultivation, its intercropping with pigeonpea under multitier system showed an increase of 14.7 and 34.9% for infiltration and porosity, respectively. In comparison to sole cultivation under papaya intercropping ginger yield improved by 15q and in ginger + pigeonpea intercropping system by 21 qha⁻¹, respectively. Among all treatments, papaya+ gliricidia based multitier cropping system of ginger intercropped with pigeonpea (8:2) gave maximum net returns of Rs. 2.47 lakhs with B: C ratio of 2.55 followed by sole ginger.