Intercropping flower crops a best option in coconut based cropping system of Maharashtra

Performance of flower crops was assessed at All India Coordinated Research Project on Palms, Regional Coconut Research Station Bhatye, Ratnagiri during 2013 to 2015. The yield of coconut incresaed to 165 nuts/palm/year due to intercropping, as against 96 nuts/palm/year in monocropping (coconut alone). According to two years of data (2014 to 2015) the average yield of flower crops revealed that the Lily crop recorded 168381 numbers of spikes/hectare, Jasminum multiflorum recorded 48656 kg/hectare, Heliconia spp. recorded 96982.5 number of spikes/hectare. Jasminum sambac recorded 1123.2 kg/hectare follwed by Michelia champaka recorded only 12690 number flowers. In respect of economics, Coconut +Lily spp. system recorded the highest net return of Rs. 12, 19, 962/-per hectare followed by Rs. 7, 63, 197/-in Coconut + Jasminum multiflorum system, Coconut + Heliconiaspp. recorded Rs. 6, 37, 495.25, Coconut +Jasminum sambac recorded Rs. 553102.53, Coconut + Michelia champaka Rs. 12690.00, net income realised in the monocropping of coconut was Rs. 65, 025/-per ha only. Coconut nut to get additional income depending upon market. The results indicated the possibility of growing Lily and Jasminum multiflorum as intercrops in coconut fields.