PERFORMANCE OF GARLIC AND MAIZE UNDER MALTA AND MORINGA BASED AGROFORESTRY SYSTEMS IN CHAR LAND OF TISTA RIVER BASIN

Abstract

Two experiments were carried out at the char land of Dimla upazila under Nilphamari district, during November 2018 to April 2019 to observe the performance of garlic and maize under malta and moringa based agroforestry systems. The experiments were laid out with single factor Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) following three replications for garlic and three replications for maize. Garlic was cultivated at the floor of malta orchard and maize was cultivated at the floor of moringa orchard. The treatments for garlic experiments were T1= Planting spacing 10cm ×10cm, T2= Planting spacing 10cm × 15cm, T3= Planting spacing 15cm × 15cm, T4= Planting spacing 15cm ×20cm and T5= Planting spacing 20cm ×20cm. The treatments for maize experiments were four fertilizer and manure application. i.e. T1 = only cow dung @ 10 t/ha, T2= chemical fertilizers as per FRG 2014, T3= only poultry manure @ 5 t/ha and T4= no fertilizer. The total number of experimental plots of garlic were15 and the size of each garlic plot was (3m × 5m) = 15 m2 . Again, the total number of experimental plots of maize were 12 and the size of each maize plot was (3m × 5m) = 15 m2 . The result of the garlic experiment revealed that different planting spacing had significant effect on the growth and yield of garlic under malta based agroforestry systems. All the growth parameter like plant height, number of leaves, size of garlic, weight of garlic, number of cloves/garlic were varied significantly. Yield of garlic was also varied significantly and the highest yield (7.48 t/ha) was recorded at 15cm × 20cmplot and the lowest yield (3.25 t/ha) was recorded at 10cm × 10cm plot i.e. in the treatment (T1). In case of maize experiment, it was also found that different fertilizer applications had the significant effect on the growth and yield of maize. However, chemical fertilizer gave the best yield (12.14 t/ha) where no fertilizer gave the lowest yield (5.19 t/ha). From the economic analysis, it was observed that the higher BCR (3.73) was recorded in garlic cultivation with 15cm × 20cm planting spacing plot. On the other hand, the lower BCR (2.09) was recorded at planting spacing 10cm × 10cm. In case of maize cultivation in moringa based agroforestry system the higher BCR (2.40) was recorded where chemical fertilizer was applied and the lower BCR (1.65) was recorded where no fertilizer was applied. Finally, it may be concluded that garlic and maize can be cultivated successfully under newly established malta and moringa based agroforestry systems at the char land. Considering the additional returns as per investment in terms of money and time, malta + garlic was the better option copared to moringa + maize in the char land of Tista River Basin.