Response of vegetable intercrops on the performance of chewing tobacco (Nicotiana rustica L.) based intercropping system

A field experiment was conducted at Bidi Tobacco Research Station, Anand Agricultural University, Anand to find out suitable chewing tobacco based intercropping system for three years during 201718 to 2019-20. Total eight treatments viz.T₁: Sole chewing tobacco (Nicotiana rustica L.), T₂: Chewing tobacco + Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) (1:2), T₃: Chewing tobacco + Onion (Allium cepa L.) (1:2), T₄: Chewing tobacco + Garlic (Allium sativum L.) (1:3), T₅: Chewing tobacco + Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) (1:3), T₆: Chewing tobacco + Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) (1:3), T₇: Chewing tobacco + Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) (1:3) and T₈: Chewing tobacco + Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) (1:3) were tested in randomized block design with four replications. Cured leaf yield of tobacco was significantly higher with sole cropping of chewing tobacco (3.79 t/ha) followed by chewing tobacco + onion, chewing tobacco + garlic, chewing tobacco + fenugreek and chewing tobacco + coriander intercropping systems. Tobacco leaf equivalent yield (TLEY) was significantly higher with chewing tobacco + garlic intercropping system of 4.86 t/ha followed by chewing tobacco + radish (4.49 t/ha) and chewing tobacco + onion (4.16 t/ha) than sole chewing tobacco (3.89 t/ha) and other intercropping systems. Increase in mean TLEY was 28% over sole chewing tobacco. Chewing tobacco + garlic intercropping system realized maximum gross returns ( 2.43 × 10³/ha) and net returns ( 1.67 × 10³/ha) with higher BCR value of 3.21. It was concluded that chewing tobacco + garlic (1:3) was an economically viable chewing tobacco based intercropping system which obtained higher TLEY and net returns.