Lessons

Intercropping

Which crops the guides suggest growing between or alongside the main crop.

The advice below comes from each crop's guide — every item shows its source, region and date. It is pending expert review; ask your local officer whether it suits your area.

Crops with advice (32)

Tap a crop to open its advice.

  • Maize3 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercropping

      In the source region, maize + cowpea or maize + blackgram intercropping is recommended for higher net returns in red lateritic soils, and maize + red gram for Vertisols (black soils).

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Maize (rainfed) – Cropping systems, p. 112
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Pre-emergence herbicide

      Apply atrazine at 0.50–0.75 kg/ha as pre-emergence on the 3rd–5th day after sowing, with a flat fan nozzle and 500 litres of water per hectare, followed by one hand weeding on the 30th–35th day. Apply herbicide only when there is sufficient soil moisture, and do not disturb the soil afterwards. If a pulse crop is to be raised as an intercrop, do not use atrazine; spray pendimethalin at 0.75 kg/ha as pre-emergence on the 3rd–5th day instead.

      Follow the instructions on the product label. Consult your local Agriculture Officer before use.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Maize (irrigated) – Weed management, p. 108
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Fall armyworm: prevention and non-chemical measures

      Apply neem cake at 250 kg/ha during the last ploughing, and treat seeds with Beauveria bassiana at 10 g/kg. Use spacing of 60 x 25 cm for irrigated and 45 x 20 cm for rainfed maize, leaving a 75 cm gap after every 10 rows. Raise border crops of cowpea, sunflower or gingelly, and intercrop with black gram or green gram, to attract and conserve natural enemies. Raise a border crop of Bajra Napier for irrigated maize, or grain sorghum for rainfed maize, to attract the moths. Use a solar light trap (1 per hectare) and sex pheromone traps (50 per hectare) from 10–15 days after sowing.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Maize – Pest management (Fall armyworm), p. 113
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Jowar3 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercropping with pulses

      Sorghum with cowpea, red gram, lablab or blackgram is the most profitable sorghum-based system. In rainfed black soils (Vertisols), sow sorghum in paired rows (plants 15 cm apart, paired rows 60 cm apart) and sow one row of blackgram or cowpea, seeds 10 cm apart, in the furrow between the paired rows. This gives 100% sorghum population plus 33% pulse population.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Rainfed sorghum – Sowing & cropping system, pp. 75–76
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Pre-emergence herbicide (rainfed)

      If sufficient moisture is available, spray atrazine at 0.25 kg/ha as pre-emergence within 3 days after a soaking rain for sole sorghum. For sorghum intercropped with pulses, use pendimethalin at 0.75 kg/ha instead.

      Follow the instructions on the product label. Consult your local Agriculture Officer before use.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Rainfed sorghum – Weed management, p. 75
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Stem borer and earhead caterpillar: non-chemical measures

      Sow lablab or cowpea as an intercrop (sorghum : lablab/cowpea 4:1) to reduce stem borer damage. For earhead caterpillar, set up sex pheromone traps at 12 per hectare from flowering to grain hardening, and apply NPV at 1.5 x 10^12 POB with crude sugar 2.5 kg and cotton seed kernel powder 250 g on the earheads twice at a 10-day interval, preferably in the early morning or evening. Neem seed kernel extract 5% is also listed.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Sorghum – Pest management (Stem borer, earhead caterpillar), p. 77
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Red gram2 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercropping with groundnut

      Under rainfed conditions, raise one row of long-duration red gram for every six rows of groundnut (6:1). Short- or medium-duration red gram can be raised as one row for every four rows of groundnut (4:1), under rainfed as well as irrigated conditions.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Redgram – Inter-cropping, p. 129
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Pod borers: non-chemical measures

      For pod borers, raise one row of sunflower as an intercrop for every 9 rows of pigeon pea and plant maize as a border crop. Set up pheromone traps for Helicoverpa armigera at 12 per hectare and bird perches at 50 per hectare, and mechanically collect grown-up larvae and blister beetles.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Redgram – Pest management strategies, p. 130
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Groundnut4 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercropping

      Where red hairy caterpillar is endemic, raise one row of cowpea for every five rows of groundnut. Groundnut + gingelly or groundnut + blackgram in a 4:1 ratio, groundnut + cowpea at 6:1, and groundnut + sunflower at 6:2 may be raised. Red gram, blackgram, sunflower, gingelly or other pulses can also be raised as intercrops.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Groundnut (rainfed) – Intercropping, p. 186
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Red hairy caterpillar: non-chemical measures

      Dig out and destroy the pupae from field bunds and shady spots before the summer rains. In the rainfed crop, set up 3–4 light traps and bonfires immediately after rains to attract and kill the moths. Collect and destroy egg masses and the early, gregarious larvae (seen on lace-like leaves of intercrops such as red gram and cowpea). Dig a trench 30 cm deep and 25 cm wide with straight sides around infested fields to stop larvae from moving in.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Groundnut – Red hairy caterpillar, p. 193
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera): non-chemical measures

      Grow castor as a border or intercrop to serve as an indicator or trap crop. Monitor the moths with light traps and pheromone traps. Collect and destroy egg masses, and the gregarious larvae as soon as lace-like leaves appear on castor, cowpea and groundnut. Spray NSKE 5% (neem seed kernel extract), or apply nuclear polyhedrosis virus at 1.5 x 10^12 POB per hectare with crude sugar 2.5 kg and teepol 250 ml per hectare.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Groundnut – Tobacco caterpillar, p. 194
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Leafhopper and leafminer: non-chemical measures

      For leafhopper, intercrop lablab with groundnut in a 1:4 ratio. For leafminer (leaf webber), set up a light trap at ground level between 8 and 11 pm.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Groundnut – Leafhopper & leafminer, p. 194
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Cotton2 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Spacing and intercropping with pulses (rainfed)

      For a pure crop of varieties or hybrids under rainfed conditions, a spacing of 45 cm between rows and 15 cm between plants may be adopted. When intercropped with pulses, alternate one paired row of cotton with two rows of pulses, keeping the total cotton population the same as a pure crop; space the pulse crop at 30 x 10 cm.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Rainfed cotton – Spacing, p. 270
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Pest prevention: village-level practices

      Remove the cotton crop and dispose of crop residues as soon as harvest is over; avoid stacking stalks in the field. Avoid ratoon and double cotton crops, and follow proper crop rotation. Grow one variety throughout the village as far as possible, and complete sowing in the village within 10–15 days. Avoid other malvaceous crops near cotton. Hand-pick and destroy egg masses, visible larvae and affected or dropped squares, flowers and bolls, and squash pink bollworm in rosette flowers. Intercropping with cowpea, green gram, black gram, soybean or maize reduces bollworm and sucking pests and supports natural enemies such as spiders and lady bird beetles.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cotton – Pest management (general), pp. 271–272
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Chilli2 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Onion as an intercrop

      Raise onion as an intercrop in a paired row system to get additional income.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Chilli – Weed control (intercrop), p. 75
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Fruit borer and thrips: non-chemical measures

      For fruit borer, set up pheromone traps for Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera litura at 12 per hectare, collect and destroy damaged fruits and grown-up caterpillars, and spray Bacillus thuringiensis at 2 g per litre. For thrips, grow agathi as an intercrop.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Chilli – Plant protection (Fruit borer, thrips), pp. 75–76
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Mango1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercrops in young orchards

      Short-duration crops such as legumes, vegetables and groundnut can be raised during the pre-bearing age.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Mango – Intercropping
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Pearl millet2 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Main field, spacing and transplanting

      Plough twice with an iron plough and twice with a country plough to a fine tilth. Spread 12.5 t/ha of FYM or compost on the unploughed soil and incorporate it. Form ridges and furrows 6 m long and 45 cm apart (30 cm if pulses are intercropped). Transplant 15–18-day-old seedlings at 45 x 15 cm, on the side of the ridge half-way from the bottom, 3–5 cm deep. Before planting, dip the roots for 15–30 minutes in a slurry of 1000 g Azospirillum and 1000 g phosphobacteria in 40 litres of water.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cumbu – Main field & transplanting, pp. 83–85
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Direct sowing and intercropping with pulses

      For direct sowing, use 45 x 15 cm spacing and 5 kg of seed per hectare, placed 4–5 cm apart in the fertilized furrows; optimum population is 1,45,000 per hectare. With a pulse intercrop, use 30 x 15 cm for bajra and 30 x 10 cm for pulses, alternating one paired row of bajra with one row of pulses. After the first weeding, gap-fill and thin to 15 cm between bajra plants.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cumbu – Direct sown crop; thinning, pp. 85–86
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Bengal gram1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercropping with coriander

      Bengal gram in paired-row planting with one or two rows of coriander as an intercrop gives the highest return in the source. Wheat can also be intercropped in deep black cotton soils.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Bengalgram – Intercropping, p. 163
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Sesame1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Root rot and phyllody

      Root rot: apply Pseudomonas fluorescens or Trichoderma asperellum at 2.5 kg/ha with 50 kg of well-decomposed FYM or sand at 30 days after sowing. Phyllody (spread by a leafhopper): remove and destroy infected plants; neem seed kernel extract 5% or neem oil 2% against the vector, combined with intercropping sesame + red gram (6:1).

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Sesame – Disease management (Root rot, phyllody), p. 203
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Castor1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercropping with small onion

      Under irrigation, intercropping castor with small onion in a 1:2 ratio at 1.5 m x 1.0 m spacing is recommended.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Castor – Intercropping, p. 209
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Soybean1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Sowing, spacing and intercropping

      Dibble the seeds 2–3 cm deep at a spacing of 30 x 5 cm. Rainfed soybean can be grown in the South-West and North-East monsoon seasons. Intercropping soybean in coconut gardens more than 10 years old is recommended, and soybean + castor (castor rows 60 cm apart) gave high net return in the source region.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Soyabean – Sowing; special situations; rainfed season, pp. 175–176
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Drumstick1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Pinching, intercrops and ratoon

      Fill gaps within a month. Pinch seedlings at about 75 cm height for more branches. Cowpea, bhendi and tomato can be intercropped. After harvest, cut trees back to 90 cm; they bear again in 4–5 months, and two ratoon crops can be taken — apply NPK 45:15:30 g per plant with 25 kg FYM within a week of each cut-back.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Annual moringa – After cultivation; ratoon crop, pp. 115–116
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Tapioca1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Gap filling, weeding and intercrops

      Fill gaps within 20 days. First weeding at 20 days, then monthly up to 5 months as needed. Thin to two shoots per plant on the 60th day. Onion, coriander, short pulses and short vegetables can be intercropped for the first 60 days.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Tapioca – After cultivation, p. 141
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Elephant foot yam1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercropping

      CO 2 vegetable cowpea is a suitable intercrop. Elephant foot yam itself can be intercropped in coconut, arecanut, rubber, banana and robusta coffee at 90 x 90 cm, with half the FYM (12.5 t/ha) and one-third of the NPK (27:20:33 kg/ha).

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Elephant foot yam – Intercropping, p. 143
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Turmeric1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercrops, weeding and earthing up

      Onion, chilli, elephant foot yam, coriander and fenugreek can be planted on the sides of the ridges 10 cm apart; red gram and castor at wider spacing. Do the first weeding after three weeks and then as needed, and earth up the plants at the 2nd and 4th top dressings.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Turmeric – Inter cultivation, p. 172
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Black pepper1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Climate, soil and varieties

      Black pepper (miriyalu) is mainly rainfed and needs heavy rain (150–250 cm), high humidity and a warm climate, on humus-rich soils, up to 1500 m. Planting season: June–December. Varieties include Panniyur 1–7, Karimunda, Sreekara, Subhakara, Panchami, Pournami and IISR varieties. The source suggests Panniyur 1 for lower, less shaded areas, Karimunda for higher, more shaded areas, and Panniyur 5 for intercropping in arecanut.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Pepper – Varieties; soil and climate; season, p. 165
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Curry leaf1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Irrigation, manure and shaping

      Irrigate right after planting, on the 3rd day, then weekly. After each harvest, mix 20 kg FYM per plant into the soil. Hoe periodically; a pulse intercrop can be grown in the first year. When plants reach 1 m, nip the terminal bud to encourage basal branches, keeping 5–6 branches per bush.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Curry Leaf – Irrigation; application of fertilizers; after cultivation, p. 158
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Tamarind1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Training, pruning and intercrops

      Train in the first year for a high head and evenly spread scaffold branches. Remove rootstock sprouts. Prune dried, diseased and criss-cross branches in April–May, after pod harvest. For the first four years, legumes, short vegetables, annual moringa, sesame and sorghum can be grown between rows.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Tamarind – After cultivation; training; pruning, p. 183
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Banana2 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercrops

      Leguminous vegetables, beetroot, elephant foot yam and sunnhemp can be intercropped. Avoid cucurbit vegetables (gourds, melons).

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Banana – Intercropping, p. 10
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04

    • Nematodes, Panama wilt and Sigatoka: non-chemical measures

      Nematodes: sow sunnhemp on the 45th day and incorporate it a month later; apply pressmud 15 t/ha and neem cake 1.5 t/ha one month after planting; intercrop marigold at 4:1. Pseudomonas fluorescens liquid formulation at 4 l/ha through drip at the 2nd, 4th and 6th month manages Panama wilt and nematodes. Panama wilt: uproot and destroy badly affected plants and apply 1–2 kg lime in the pit. Sigatoka leaf spot: remove affected leaves and burn them.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Banana – Nematode; Panama disease; Sigatoka, pp. 11–12
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Guava1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Planting

      Use layers or grafts. Season of planting given in the source: June–December. Spacing: 5–6 m either way. Plant with the ball of earth at the centre of a 45 x 45 x 45 cm pit filled with 10 kg of FYM. Legumes and short-duration vegetables can be grown as intercrops before the trees bear.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Guava – Planting material, season, spacing & planting, p. 28
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Sapota1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Planting

      Use grafts on Manilkara hexandra (pala) rootstock. Season of planting: June–December. Spacing: 8 x 8 m (156 plants per hectare) conventionally, or 8 x 4 m (312 plants per hectare) for high-density planting. Dig 1 x 1 x 1 m pits and fill with topsoil mixed with 10 kg FYM and 1 kg neem cake. Plant with the ball of earth intact, keep the graft joint at least 15 cm above the ground, and stake the plants. Legumes and short vegetables can be intercropped before bearing.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Sapota – Planting material, season, spacing & planting, p. 31
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Sweet orange1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Planting and training

      Use budded plants; Rangpur lime is the best rootstock, and rough lemon is also used. Dig 75 x 75 x 75 cm pits at 7 x 7 m spacing and fill with topsoil and 10 kg FYM. Plant at the centre and stake. For the first 3 years, train the plant to a well-spread framework at 45 cm height on a single trunk. Legumes and vegetables can be intercropped before bearing.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Sweet Orange – Planting material; preparation of field, p. 17
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Acid lime1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Propagation and planting

      Budded plants on rough lemon or Rangpur lime rootstock are good. Seedlings also come true to type, so raising plants from seed is also recommended; VRM 1 Tahiti lime is propagated by layering. Plant healthy seedlings in June–December at 6 x 6 m, in 75 x 75 x 75 cm pits. Legumes and vegetables can be intercropped before bearing.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Acid Lime – Propagation; planting, p. 14
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Coconut1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Intercrops by palm age

      Below 7 years: annual crops such as groundnut, sesame, sunflower, tapioca, turmeric and banana, up to about 5 years after planting depending on canopy; avoid paddy and sugarcane. 7–20 years: only green manure and fodder crops (Napier grass, guinea grass). Above 20 years (when over 50% sunlight reaches inside): annuals such as groundnut, bhendi, turmeric, tapioca, sweet potato, elephant foot yam, ginger and pineapple, and banana. Give intercrops their own water, manure and fertilizer.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Coconut – Inter cropping, pp. 214–215
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Arecanut1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Weeding and intercrops

      Weed two or three times a year and terrace sloping land to prevent erosion. Cocoa, black pepper, coffee, cinnamon, clove and citrus can be grown as intercrops.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Arecanut – After cultivation; intercropping, p. 223
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Cashew1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Training, intercrops and old orchards

      Raise the trunk to 1 m by removing low branches, and remove dried twigs and branches every year. Until bearing, grow groundnut, black gram or bhendi in the interspaces after rain. Old orchards: remove dead wood, criss-cross branches and water shoots every 2–3 years. Old seedling trees can be headed back at 1–1.5 m in May–June and the new shoots grafted with improved varieties in July–August; watch these trees for stem and root borer.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cashew – Intercropping; training and pruning; rejuvenation, p. 202
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04
  • Oil palm1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Leaf pruning, ablation, intercrops and pollination

      Avoid severe leaf pruning, which reduces growth and yield. Keep about 6–7 leaves per spiral at 4–7 years, 5–6 at 8–14 years and 4–5 above 15 years. Flowering starts at 14–18 months: remove all early inflorescences by hand every month ("ablation") for up to 2½–3 years so the palm builds girth and roots. Vegetables, banana, flowers, chillies, turmeric, ginger and pineapple suit young gardens; under mature palms, shade-tolerant cocoa, pepper and heliconia. Do not cut or tie fronds for intercrops. Releasing the pollinating weevil Elaeidobius kamerunicus after about 2½ years improves fruit set.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Oil Palm – Leaf pruning; ablation; intercropping; pollination, pp. 226–227
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Coffee1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Pruning, intercrops and cover digging

      Do centring and desuckering for 5–6 years after planting, right after harvest; remove unproductive wood and dead, exhausted branches. Orange, pepper, banana, pineapple, avocado and custard apple can be intercropped. Weed and mulch as needed; at the end of the monsoon (October–November), dig 30 cm deep and bury weeds and debris ("cover digging"); on slopes, dig contour trenches 45 cm wide and 30 cm deep.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Coffee – Pruning; intercropping; after cultivation, p. 198
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Rubber1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Cover crops, intercrops and young plant care

      Grow and incorporate cover crops (such as Pueraria, Calopogonium, Centrosema) to protect the soil. For the first 4–5 years, banana, pineapple, tuber crops, ginger, turmeric, vegetables and cocoa can be intercropped. Mulch basins with dry leaves, cuttings or straw; protect young plants from strong sun with plaited coconut-leaf guards and by white-washing brown stem parts. Induce branching at 2.5–3 m by the leaf-fold or leaf-cap method.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Rubber – After cultivation; intercrops; mulching; branch induction, pp. 208–209
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Cocoa2 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Soil, climate and varieties

      Cocoa needs friable, potash-rich alluvial soil with plenty of humus and good moisture-holding, pH 6.6–7.0; up to 1200 m, about 150 cm of rain, 80% humidity and 24–25 °C. It is a shade-loving crop usually grown as an intercrop in coconut and arecanut gardens. Planting: June–July and September–October. Forastero types do well in India; varieties include CCRP 1–10 and VTLCC 1, and hybrids VTLCH 1–4.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cocoa – Varieties; soil and climate; season, p. 203
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05

    • Raising and planting

      Remove the pulp and sow seeds one per polybag right after extraction, in a mix of 2 parts red soil, 1 part sand and 1 part FYM (with 5 kg superphosphate per tonne). Seedlings are ready at 6 months (about 60 cm). Plant with the earth ball in 45 cm pits at 3 x 3 m, stake, mulch, water and give temporary shade (about 50% shade at first, 40% later; banana works well as early shade). As an intercrop: one row between coconut rows (about 500 plants/ha), between arecanut rows (about 686/ha), or five plants between four oil palms (about 400/ha).

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Horticulture Crops 2020 (Directorate of Horticulture and Plantation Crops, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Cocoa – Seeds and sowing; planting; time and method of planting, pp. 203–204
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-05
  • Sugarcane1 recommendations
    Full guide for this crop →

    • Gap filling, trash mulching and intercrops

      Fill gaps with two-budded setts or poly-bag seedlings within 15–20 days of planting (sprouted setts within 30 days), and keep adequate moisture for 3 weeks. Within a week of planting, mulch the ridges with cane trash 10 cm thick — it conserves moisture, reduces weeds and shoot borer (avoid it where termites occur). With adequate irrigation, sow one row of soybean, black gram or green gram along the ridge centre on the 3rd day.

      Pending expert review
      Source
      Crop Production Guide – Agriculture 2020 (Directorate of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu & Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU)), Sugarcane – Filling up gaps; trash mulching; inter crops, p. 292
      Region
      Tamil Nadu
      Last updated
      2026-11-04