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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp9 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Productivity and economic benefits of intercropping buckwheat and green gram with chilli under the Northern transition zone of Karnataka

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12087
Submitted
3 October 2025
Published
10-11-2026

Abstract

Intercropping systems improve agricultural resource efficiency and crop productivity, especially for spice crops like chilli. This research assessed the productivity and economic advantages of intercropping buckwheat and green gram with chilli. The study was conducted during the kharif seasons of 2022 and 2023 at the Main Agricultural Research Station, Dharwad, Karnataka. The experiment was laid out in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with nine treatments and three replications, representing different row arrangements of chilli intercropped with buckwheat and green gram. Green gram was incorporated as an intercrop with chilli in this study, as it is recommended for the Northern Transition Zone of Karnataka, to facilitate a comparative analysis. The findings indicated that chilli (120 × 60 cm) + buckwheat (1:3 ratio, T3) and paired row chilli (60/120 × 60 cm) + buckwheat (2:3 ratio, T5) produced the highest chilli equivalent yield (818 and 819 kg ha-1 respectively), land equivalent ratio (1.64 and 1.43 respectively), area time equivalent ratio, income equivalent ratio and monetary yield advantage. These treatments also recorded higher gross returns, net returns and benefit-cost ratios compared with other treatments. The results indicate that intercropping buckwheat with chilli in 1:3 or 2:3 row ratios improved productivity and economic returns.

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