Abstract

Field studies were conducted at Sugarcane Breeding Institute. Coimbatore during 1982-84 on alfisol to evaluate four short duration sugarcane based sequential cropping systems (1. short duration sugarcane/1st ratoon/2nd ratoon: 2. short duration sugarcane/ 1st ratoon/finger millet/cotton; 3: finger millet/short duration sugarcane/1st ratoon/wheat; 4. finger millet/maize/short duration sugarcane/1st ratoon) fot their production potential and economics vis-a-vis the conventional practice of a plant and a ratoon crop with a normal duration sugarcane in a cropping cycle of 24 months. All the short duration sugar- cane based cropping systems were more productive and profitable than the conventional system. The sequence 'short duration sugarcane/1st ratoon/finger millet/cotton was best producing 195.6 t of cane. 3:81 of finger millet and 4.07 t of seed cotton/ha compared to 203.6 t of cane alone in the conventional system. Sequence 2 gave a net return of Rs. 48,242/ha (benefit/cost ratio= 3.13) compared to 23.640/ha in the conventionall system (benefit/cost ratio = 2.47).

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