Assessing the Economics of Sunhemp in Rice Fallow Systems: Boosting Farm Income
Abstract
A field experiment was conducted to study the economics of sunhemp varieties under different sowing windows for seed production in rice fallow system in NC zone during Rabi 2023-24 at Agricultural College Farm, Naira. The experiment was laid out in a Factorial randomized block design with two factors and three replications. Factor one comprised of three varieties JRJ 610 (V1), SUIN 03 (V2), SUIN 037 (V3) and factor two comprised of four sowing windows i.e. first fortnight of November (S1), second fortnight of November (S2), first fortnight of December (S3) and second fortnight of December (S4). Higher gross returns (Rs. 207540 ha⁻¹), net returns (Rs. 123410 ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (2.47) of rice-sunhemp system were realized with sunhemp variety SUIN 037 sown during second fortnight of November as relay crop after kharif rice. Whereas higher gross returns (Rs. 84,825 ha⁻¹), net returns (Rs. 54,925 ha⁻¹), returns per rupee invested (Rs. 1.84) and highest B:C (2.84) of sole sunhemp crop was obtained with sunhemp variety SUIN 037 sown during first fortnight of November. Choosing the right variety with pest and disease resistance and adaptability to local environmental conditions is essential for good crop establishment as relay crop in rice-based cropping system as alternative to the rice-pulse system in North Coastal Zone of Andhra Pradesh.
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Introduction
Sunhemp holds significant economic importance due to its diverse applications and benefits to agricultural systems. As a green manure crop, it enhances soil fertility and structure. It also adds substantial organic matter to the soil upon decomposition, further improving soil health and microbial activity, leading to increased crop yields. As a leguminous plant, it is capable of fixing atmospheric nitrogen through its symbiotic relationship with rhizobium bacteria in its root nodules (Deshmukh, 2023). The 60-days-old crop accumulates about 170 kg N, 20 kg P and 130 kg K ha⁻¹ (Pacharne et al., 2021). Sunhemp possesses allelopathic effects on weeds and suppresses weed growth and weed seed bank, which reduces the need for chemical herbicides, lowering production costs and minimizing environmental impact (Bhandari et al., 2022). It is well known for its coarse textured pectino-cellulosic fibre with good fibre characteristics and high yield, which is used for manufacturing a wide variety of products like paper, marine cordage, rope, string and fishing net, coarse for hose pipe, belting and canvas, tissue paper, bank currency, rugs, carpets, etc. (Shi et al., 2018).
Beyond its agronomic benefits, sunhemp can also serve as a source of additional income. It can be harvested for use as forage in livestock production, thereby opening up new markets for farmers. The potential for selling sunhemp seeds or biomass adds another layer of economic viability to its cultivation. Seed filling in sunhemp is negatively affected by late planting in the rabi rice fallows system.
Conclusion
Sunhemp variety SUIN 037 was found to be most suitable for November first fortnight sowing and realized maximum gross returns, net returns, returns per rupee invested, and highest B:C ratio. Early sowing and variety selection are essential management practices in sunhemp cultivation to obtain good yield and economic returns. Choosing the right variety with pest and disease resistance and adaptability to local environmental conditions is essential for good crop establishment as relay crop in rice-based cropping system as alternative to the rice-pulse system in North Coastal Zone of Andhra Pradesh.
References
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