Standardization of spacing and size of planting material of elephant foot-yam grown as intercrop in coconut plantation

Field experiment was conducted to standardise the spacing and size of planting material of elephant foot-yam grown as intercrop in coconut plantation and to study the effect of intercrop on the main crop. Among the five different spacing (40 x 40 cm, 55 x 50 cm, 65 x 60 cm, 70 x 70 cm and 90 x 85 cm) and two corm sizes (300 and 500 g), the plants under closest spacing recorded maximum pseudostem length but pseudostem girth and canopy were maximum in widest spacing. Higher growth and yield were associated with greater size of planting material. From yield maximization point of view, 40 x 40 cm spacing with 500 g corm size was best for elephant foot-yam grown as intercrop in coconut. An increase in nut yield/palm of 8.71 (12.91%) was observed from intercropped block as compared to 5.58 (8.42%) from monocrop.