Off-season short- duration leafy coriander (Coriandrum sativum) with peri- urban market linkage model for small holders in drylands.

Abstract

With the DMLH model and staggered system of growing coriander, off-season crops can fetch a better price of their produce. The field study carried out in 2019–20 revealed that four types of coriander- farming situations prevail in Ranga Reddy district, namely off-season crop with or without protection and round-the-year crop with or without protection (Table 2). As the off-season crop is remunerative (Rs 89,500/acre in a season) with least investment (Rs 12,000) and B : C ratio of 7.46, majority of farmers have adopted this technology. In the region, the acceptance of the model can be visualized with its expansion to 50 acres of area in the Gadda Mallaiah Guda village, in 2 years (Figure 4). However, maximum profitability with minimum investment of time is possible with protected cultivation of leafy coriander as an off-season crop (Rs 115,300 acre in a season). Simultaneously, the farmers can obtain other benefits from different crops during the crop season, apart from this additional benefit. If the farmers cultivate leafy coriander for the whole year, they can reap the benefitsof an average Rs 209,300/acre under protected conditions and Rs 144,300/acre under open-field conditions.