PRODUCTION POTENTIAL AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF CHEWING TOBACCO ( NICOTIANA TABACUM ) - BASED INTERCROPPING SYSTEM

A field experiment was conducted during 2001-02 to 2004-05 at Vedasandur to study the production potential and economic feasibility of various intercrops in two cycles viz. aggregatum onion[ Allium cepa (L.) var. aggregatum],   bellary onion  [ Allium cepa       ( L.) var. cepa ]  ,  beet root         [ Beta vulgaris  (L.)  ]  + radish [ Raphanus sativus ( L.) ]  ,  Annual moringa [ Moringa olefera  (Lam.) ] , ratoon moringa + fodder crops (Pillipesara + bajra) in comparison with sole chewing tobacco. First grade leaf yield (3.21 t/ha) and total cured leaf yield (4.18 t/ha) of chewing tobacco was higher with chewing tobacco + aggregatum onion over sole tobacco during the first cycle. Increase in total cured leaf yield was 7% over the sole tobacco. Whereas, in the second cycle, the growth attributes, first grade leaf yield (3.41 t/ha) and total cured leaf yield (4.18 t/ha) increased with chewing tobacco + radish. Increase in TCLY was 8 % over sole tobacco. Tobacco equivalent yield was significantly higher with chewing tobacco + annual moringa during the first cycle (6.60 t/ha) and second cycle (5.82 t/ha) over sole tobacco. Net return was higher with  chewing tobacco + annual moringa in the first cycle (Rs.76,500/ha) as well as in the second cycle (Rs.71,400/ha). Soil residual fertility decreased with chewing tobacco + beet root. It was concluded that higher tobacco equivalent yield and net returns could be achieved with chewing tobacco + annual moringa , an economically viable intercropping system for the chewing tobacco belt of Tamil Nadu.