Exploring Spine Gourd (Momordica dioica Roxb.) Potential on Some Selected Vegetables for Sustainable Intercropping System

Abstract

Intercropping enhances productivity, yield stability, and resource-use efficiency compared to monoculture, making it widely adopted in tropical farming systems. Spine gourd is a nutritious, high-value cucurbit crop well adapted to tropical regions, valued for its economic and dietary benefits. The trial was conducted during the kharif season of 2021-22 at the Raj Mohini Devi College of Agriculture and Research Station, Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh. The experimental design employed was a randomized block design, encompassing five treatments: T1: spine gourd (Sole cropping), T2: spine gourd + Tomato, T3: spine gourd + brinjal, T4: spine gourd + chilli, and T5: spine gourd + okra, each replicated fourfold. The highest yield of the principal crop (spine gourd) was recorded in T5, intercropped with okra (53.72q ha-1). However, statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in yield among the treatments. In contrast, T3 (intercropped with brinjal) demonstrated the highest spine gourd equivalent yield (41.18 q ha-1), aggregate yield (principal crop + intercrop) (93.84 q ha-1), gross return (₹1,407,552 ha-1), net return (₹1,256,852 ha-1), and B:C ratio (8.3).