Bio-economic appraisal of peach based agrihorticulture system

A field experiment was conducted in the mid hills of Himachal Himalayas to study the effect of six tree crop combinations viz., one peach tree surrounded by two mulberry trees + wheat, one mulberry tree surrounded by two peach trees + wheat, peach + mulberry + wheat, peach + wheat, mulberry + wheat and only wheat (control) on growth, biomass productivity and economic return of wheat, peach and mulberry under agrihortisilviculture system. The maximum plant height (82.79cm), number of plant (57.33m⁻²) and grain yield (35.19q ha⁻¹) of wheat was recorded in treatment T₆ under control. All the growth and yield parameters except crop maturity of wheat were found to increase with the increase in distance from the tree row. Growing of crop in south direction of tree row showed higher value for all the growth and yield parameters as compared to north direction. Height and diameter of mulberry and peach were recorded maximum in T₅ (mulberry + wheat) and T₄ (peach + wheat) respectively. Highest fruit yield (14.80 q ha¹) and pruned wood biomass (9.38 q ha⁻¹) were recorded in T₄ (peach + wheat). Treatment T₅ (mulberry + wheat) produced highest branch wood (25.65 q ha⁻¹) and leaf fodder yield (14.47 q ha⁻¹) of mulberry. Highest biomass productivity (143 qha⁻¹yr⁻¹) was recorded in T₃ and lowest (96 qha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) in T₆. Highest value of total cost (Rs.9759 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) was recorded in T₁, T₂ and T₃. Maximum value of gross return (Rs.32795 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) was recorded in T₃. Net return was observed highest (Rs 23036 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) in tree-crop combination T₁ and lowest (Rs. 14473 ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) in T₆.