Flowering, yield and quality of papaya (Carica papaya) in intercropping

A field experiment was conducted during 2005–06 to find out the response of intercropping of different herbal crops on flowering, yield and quality of papaya (Carica papaya L.) fruits. The earliest flowering, fruit maturity and ripening were recorded in sole crop of papaya, closely followed by papaya + patchouli [Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth] intercropping systems. The highest fruit yield was recorded in papaya + ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) (48.94 kg plant⁻¹), followed by papaya + patchauli (48.05 kg plant⁻¹) which increased 18.18 and 16.03% fruit yield over sole cropping of papaya, respectively. However, papaya + isobgol (Plantago ovata Husk) intercropping system produced superior quality fruits.