Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, Kunnamangalam, Kozhikode P.O. Kerala - 673 571, India.
An experiment was taken up during the period from 1995 to 1999 in the established coconut gardens to study the effect of different IeveJs of irrigation for the main crop and inter crop on the performance of component crops in the coconut-banana cropping system. Coconut trees were given irrigation at the rates of 900 litres/palm (CU, 600 litres/palm (C2) and 300 litres/palm (C3), all at 5 days interval. The State recommendations for coconut is toprollide 900 litres/palm once in 5 days in pure crop stand. Banana was grown in the interspaces of coconut trees and was given irrigation at the rates of 40 litres (81), 25 litres (82) and 5 litres (83) per plant at 3 days interval. It could be inferred from the study that when banana is inter cropped in coconut gardens, coconut which is the main crop should be irrigated at the rate of 600 litres per palm once in five days. At this irrigation rate to coconut, the irrigation level to banana need be only 25 litres per plant since the higher level of irrigation did not show any significant difference in yield.
