PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMICS OF INTERCROPPING LATE JUTE SEED OF C. olitorius JUTE WITH CHILLI

Adoption of intercropping may increases crop production instead of decline trend of agricultural land in Bangladesh. Thus, an experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Jute Research Institute (BJRI), Regional Station, Kishoreganj, Bangladesh during September 2008 to February 2009 to find out an appropriate intercrop for cultivation chilli with jute seed for higher productivity and maximum economic return. The experiment was consisted with five treatments viz., Sole jute seed (T₁); Sole chili (T₂); Chili 75% + Jute seed 25% (T₃); Chili 85% + Jute seed 15% (T₄) and Chili 90% + Jute seed 10% (T₅). Significantly the highest chilli yield was obtained with sole chilli (3.62 t ha^-1) which was close to Chili 90% + Jute seed 10% (3.57 t ha^-1) combination.  On the other hand highest jute seed yield was obtained with sole jute seed (0.4 t ha^-1) and the lowest jute seed yield was obtained from Chili 90% + Jute seed 10% (0.043 t ha^-1) combination.  Intercropping reduced 2 to 23% chilli yield but total productivity as expressed chilly equivalent yield increased by 33 to 102% over sole chilli due to the combination of companion crop. The highest chilli equivalent yield (3.70 t ha^-1), gross return (1,84,950 Tk ha^-1), net benefit (1,11,736 Tk ha^-1)  and marginal benefit cost ratio (2.52) were obtained from Chili 90% + Jute seed 10% combination. Considering the experimental findings, Chili 90% + Jute seed 10% might be suitable combination for higher productivity and economic return.