Growth and productivity of Ocimum basilicum influenced by the application of organic manures under Leucaena leucocephala hedgerows in western Himalayan mid hills

A field experiment was conducted in the western Himalayan mid hills for two consecutive years to study the hedgerow intercropping of Leucaena leucocephala with Ocimum basilicum. Leucaena hedgerows were spaced seven meters apart with three different plant spacing within the hedgerows and three different organic manures were applied to the intercrop. The results showed that closely spaced (0.50 m) Leucaena hedgerows negatively influenced various growth and yield attributes like plant height, number of inflorescence and economic yield of the associated herb as compared to its wider spacing (0.75 m and 1.50 m). The use of organic manures benefited the intercrop by improving the growth even in the presence of hedgerows as compared to control plots (without trees). Irrespective of the tree spacing the growth of O. basilicum was suppressed to a greater extent at a distance closer to the hedgerows in all the treatments.