Agronomic Evaluation of Suitable Cropping Systems for Bidi Tobacco under Rainfed Conditions in Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted for Agronomic evaluation of suitable cropping systems for bidi tobacco under rainfed conditions at Regional Agricultural Research Station, Nandyal, ANGRAU under AINP on Tobacco for three years during rabi seasons from 2020-21 to 2022-23 with the objective to evaluate different bidi tobacco based cropping systems for higher productivity, monetary returns and quality of bidi tobacco. The experiment laid out in randomized block design with 3 replications. Treatments comprised of 9 cropping systems viz., Foxtailmillet – Bidi tobacco, Greengram – Bidi tobacco, Blackgram – Bidi tobacco, Sweet corn – Bidi tobacco, Cluster bean – Bidi tobacco, Cowpea – Bidi tobacco, Bajra – Bidi tobacco, Onion – Bidi tobacco and Fallow- bidi tobacco. The pooled results revealed that significantly higher leaf length and width, bidi tobacco equivalent yield (3119 kg/ha) were recorded with Onion followed by bidi tobacco cropping system which is on par with sweetcorn followed by bidi tobacco cropping system. Whereas higher net returns (Rs. 202815/ha) and benefit cost ratio (3.5) was observed in sweet corn followed by bidi tobacco cropping system. Land-use efficiency (LUE) was the highest in onion-bidi tobacco cropping system (90.4 %) and the lowest in Fallow-bidi tobacco cropping system (49.3%). Significantly higher system productivity (9.9 kg/ha) and system profitability (676 Rs./ha) were registered with Sweet corn – Bidi tobacco cropping system. Leaf chemical parameters viz., higher nicotine (6.67 %), reducing sugars (3.90 %) and chlorides (1.21 %) were recorded in onion-bidi tobacco cropping system. Thus, Onion-bidi tobacco and Sweetcorn- bidi tobacco cropping system were more productive and remunerative than the other cropping systems in bidi tobacco growing areas of Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh.