ECONOMIC VIABILITY AND RESIDUAL SOIL-NUTRIENT STATUS IN CHEWING TOBACCO (NICOTIANA TABACUM) - BASED CROPPING SYSTEM

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2002-03 to 2004-05 at Vedasandur, Tamil Nadu to study the economic viability of various chewing tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) based cropping systems and their effect on residual soil-nutrient status. The treatments consisted of six chewing tobacco based cropping sequences, viz., ragi (Eleusine coracana Gaertn)-tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L)-Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L); sunnhemp flower; maize-tobacco-groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L). sunflower-tobacco-maize; and sunflower-tobacco-groundnut with a solo tobacco crop. The leaf length and width, first grade leaf yield (FGLY) and total cured leaf yield (TCLY) of rabi chewing tobacco increased with sunnhemp as a green manure crop in kharif and with sorghum fodder in summer. The increase in FGLY and TCLY was 15 and 14% respectively. Residual soil-nutrient status and uptake of nutrients by tobacco lamina improved with sunnhemp-tobacco-sorghum fodder sequence. Tobacco leaf equivalent yield (6.14 t/ha) increased with maize-chewing tobacco-groundnut sequence. Sunflower-tobacco-groundnut sequence significantly increased the net return by 76% over sole tobacco. It was concluded that the sequence sunflower-tobacco-groundnut was economically viable and the residual soil nutrients improved with sunnhemp-tobacco-sorghum fodder sequence.