Yield and economic viability of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) based cropping systems in Nagaland

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the productivity and economic viability of ginger-based cropping systems under the agro-climatic conditions of Nagaland. The study was laid out in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with seven treatments and three replications. The treatments included: T1 (sole ginger), T2 (ginger + fenugreek - coriander), T3 (ginger + tomato - okra), T4 (ginger + sweet corn - green mustard), T5 (ginger + french bean - chilli), T6 (ginger + soybean), and T7 (ginger + colocasia). Sole ginger (T1) recorded the highest yield (12.81 t/ha). Among intercropping systems, T5 showed the highest ginger yield (10.34 t/ha), followed by T3 (9.02 t/ha). However, T4 exhibited the highest ginger equivalent yield (29.04 t/ha), net income (₹6.60 lakh/ ha), and benefit-cost ratio (4.04), suggesting its superior economic performance. All intercropping treatments recorded land equivalent ratios (LER) above 1, indicating yield advantages over sole cropping, with T7 (2.40) and T3 (2.13) showing the highest LER values. The study concludes that ginger-based intercropping systems, particularly those involving sweet corn - green mustard and colocasia, can significantly enhance productivity and profitability under rainfed conditions of Nagaland. Conversely, the ginger + fenugreek - coriander system showed comparatively lower returns, making it a less suitable option.