Economics of Cocoon Production as influenced by Methods of Irrigation and Organic Mulches

Author: Ramya V.S. and Chandrashekhar S.

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Abstract

Water is undoubtedly elixir of life. Whether it be for irrigation, drinking and sanitation or for the protection of natural ecosystems and providing goods and services for growing populations, without water life on earth is just impossible and hence it is “lifeline”. Mulberry is cultivated in about 2.42 lakh ha area in India of the total mulberry area above 80 per cent is under irrigation conditions. In this context research was conducted at Department of Sericulture, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru, Karnataka during 2021 - 2022 to study Effect of different methods of irrigation and organic mulching in mulberry during Kharif and Rabi seasons. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Complete Block Design (FRCBD) with fourteen treatment combinations and three replications. Main plots include two different methods of irrigation viz., Surface drip irrigation- I1 and Subsurface drip irrigation- I2 at 15-20 cm depth both at 0.75 Cumulative Pan Evaporation (CPE) and with treatments of organic mulches (Mulching with glyricidia leaves, Mulching with pongamia leaves, Mulching with neem leaves, Live mulching with cowpea, Live mulching with horsegram, Live mulching with dhaincha and control without mulch). The results revealed that subsurface drip irrigation @ 0.75 CPE and among organic mulches cowpea live mulching enhanced the growth and yield of mulberry, further the economics was estimated for different treatment combinations. The economics of Cross Breed cocoon production revealed that total cost of cultivation was more (Rs. 2,07,310 ha-1 crop-1) in combination with subsurface drip irrigation and living mulch with dhaincha, maximum net returns (Rs. 2,46,981.47 ha-1 year-1) and highest B:C ratio of 2.21 was reported in subsurface drip irrigation + live mulching with cowpea treated mulberry plots. In double hybrid cocoon production total cost of cultivation was more in combination of subsurface drip irrigation and live mulching with dhaincha (Rs. 2,12,315 ha-1 crop-1), subsurface drip irrigation and live mulching with cowpea treated mulberry leaves fed with double hybrid silkworms yielded maximum net returns (Rs. 4,56,829.40 ha-1year-1) and highest B:C ratio of 3.18.

Keywords

Methods of irrigation and organic mulching, Cost of production, Gross returns, Net returns, B:C ratio

Conclusion

Economics of Cross Breed cocoon production revealed that subsurface drip irrigation and live mulching with cowpea yielded maximum gross returns (Rs. 4,51,191.47 ha-1 year-1) and lowest gross returns was noticed in surface drip irrigation without mulching (Rs. 3,89,715.69 ha-1 year-1) and maximum net returns of (Rs. 2,46,981.47 ha-1 year-1) with the B:C ratio (2.21) was recorded in subsurface drip irrigation and live mulching with cowpea, least net returns was recorded in surface drip irrigation without mulching (Rs. 1,94,305.69ha-1year-1) and B:C ratio (1.99). Similarly, same trend has been followed with economics of FC1 × FC2 cocoon production where mulberry garden with subsurface drip irrigation in combination with live mulching with cowpea plots yielded maximum gross returns (Rs. 6,66,044.40 ha-1 year-1) where lowest gross returns was noticed in surface drip irrigation without mulching (Rs. 5,22,283.50 ha-1 year-1) and maximum net returns (Rs. 4,56,829.40 ha-1 year-1) with higher B:C ratio (3.18) was recorded in subsurface drip irrigation and live mulching with cowpea and least net returns was recorded in surface drip irrigation without mulching (Rs. 3,21,868.50 ha-1 year-1) and B:C ratio (2.61).

References

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How to cite this article

Ramya V.S. and Chandrashekhar S. (2023). Economics of Cocoon Production as influenced by Methods of Irrigation and Organic Mulches. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(5): 1046-1050.