Food crops farming under Sunan candlenut (Reutealis trisperma (Blanco) Airy Shaw) stand at Pati and Asembagus

Abstract

Abstract The main obstacle in developing Sunan candlenut plants is slow productive age (fruiting in the 5-6th year). By integrating food crops as intercrops between candlenut plants, farmers are expected to still be able to obtain income from intercropping before the candlenut plants produce. In addition, intercropping can optimize nutrient utilization from soil and fertilization, and increase soil fertility by using intercrop residual biomass. The selection of intercropping plants was adjusted to the interests of farmers by utilizing the space between the stands of candlenut trees. In the selection of food crops must be considered factors of climate suitability, altitude, soil type, cultivated soil layer thickness, and rain characteristics. This research was aimed to evaluate the farming income of intercropping candlenut with mung beans, sesame, peanut and maize. The research was conducted in Asembagus and Muktiharjo, where mung bean and sesame were planted in Asembagus, and peanuts and maize planted in Muktiharjo as intercropped plants. The results of farm analysis of each intercropping plant, namely: mung beans, sesame, peanut and maize each of them gave a profit per hectare of 11,380,000 IDR, 4,510,000 IDR, 24.375,000 IDR, and 6.080,000 IDR respectively.