Indian Journal of Agronomy

A field experiment was conducted during 2002–03 to 2004–05 at Vedasandur, Tamil Nadu to study the economic viability of various chewing tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) based cropping systems and their effect on residual soil-nutrient status. The treatments consisted of six chewing tobacco-based cropping sequences, viz. ragi [Eleusine coracana Gaertn]-tobacco [Nicotiana tabacum L.]-sunflower [Helianthus annuus L.]; sunnhemp [Crotalaria juncea L.]-tobacco-sorghum fodder [Sorghum bicolor L. Moench]; maize [Zea mays L.]-tobacco-sunflower; maize-tobacco-groundnut [Arachis hypogaea L. sunflower-tobacco-maize; and sunflower-tobacco-groundnut with a sole tobacco crop. The leaf length and width, first grade leaf yield (FGLY) and total cured-leaf yield (TCLY) of rabi chewing tobacco increased with sunnhemp as a green-manure crop in kharif and with sorghum fodder in summer. The increase in FGLY and TCLY was 15 and 14%, respectively. Residual soil-nutrient status and uptake of nutrients by tobacco lamina improved with sunnhemp-tobacco-sorghum fodder sequence. Tobacco leaf-equivalent yield (6.14 t/ha) increased with maize-chewing tobacco-groundnut sequence. Sunflower-tobacco-groundnut sequence significantly increased the net returns by 76% over sole tobacco. It was concluded that the sequence sunflower - tobacco - groundnut was economically viable and the residual soil nutrients improved with sunnhemp-tobacco-sorghum fodder sequence.