1Department of Silviculture and Agroforestry
2Department of Agricultural Economics, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari-396 450, Gujarat
*Author for correspondence Email: drnsthakur74@gmail.com
§The paper has been drawn from M. Sc. Thesis entitled “Screening of Cymbopogon spp. and Ocimum spp. for development of teak based silvi-medicinal systems in south Gujarat”, submitted by my PG student Mukesh Kumar in July 2014, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari Gujarat
The study has reported the economics of three Ocimum species, namely O. tenuiflorum, O. gratissimum and O. basilicum, which were grown under 18-year old teak (Tectona grandis) based silvi-medicinal (teak + Ocimum spp.) and sole cropping systems and has investigated the effect of value addition due to herb and oil production. The study has found that herbage production of O. gratissimum provided highest net returns of ` 38, 018/ha (benefit-cost ratio (BCR): 1.85) when grown under sole cropping and ` 25, 418/ha (BCR: 1.24) when grown under silvi-medicinal system. The essential oil production from O. basilicum accrued the highest net returns of ` 103327/ha with BCR of 2.56. The value addition due to essential oil production provided higher returns and benefit cost ratio in O. tenuiflorum and O. basilicum. The NPV, IRR, PBP and BCR analysis has suggested cultivation, either as sole crop or under silvi-medicinal system, of O. gratissium for raw herbage and of O. basilicum for essential oil production. The study has revealed that the financial flow on account of oil production was higher as compared to herb production and value addition in terms of net returns and BCR ratio proved more remunerative.
Agroforestry, essential oil, Gujarat, net returns, Ocimum spp, teak, value addition
