Tamil Nadu - Tuticorin   

Sapota, ideal plant for two-tier cropping system in Tuticorin

Tuticorin: Sapota, also known as “Chikku” in North India, being a deep rooted and drought-resistant crop, has been found to be an ideal plant for two tier cropping system with chillies as an intercrop in dry areas of Tuticorin district, according to S. Joseph Karunanidhi, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Tuticorin.

As fruit tree has long gestation period in its cultivation, poor farmers hesitate to take up fruit tree cultivation.

To overcome this problem, they are being motivated to take up annual crops like chillies as an intercrop, based on suitability of agro climatic conditions prevailing in the area so that they can get reasonable revenue to meet their contingent expenditures, till fruit trees like sapota come to yield in about three to three and half years.

Normally, farmers in dry areas like Vilathikulam, Puthur, and Kovilpatti blocks of the district used to cultivate chillies under rain fed condition followed by cumbu as their routine cropping pattern, Mr. Karunanidhi added. Under Integrated Horticulture Development Scheme, progressive farmer, J. Prabhakar from Zameen Karisalkulam, a hamlet in Vilathikulam block, was given 130 numbers of high yielding sapota grafts procured from Horticulture College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Periyakulam, at 50 per cent subsidized cost, said S. Raja Mohamed, Assistant Director of Horticulture, Vilathikulam block.

The versatility of sapota as an economic horticultural crop in marginal, sub-marginal and alkaline soils has been consistently felt in the recent years, he said.

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Sapota, ideal plant for two-tier cropping system in Tuticorin

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