Culantro (Eryngium foetidum L.): A Profitable Intercrop in Arecanut Plantations for Diversification of Island Agriculture

Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of land masses in the Bay of Bengal, situated about 1200 km away from mainland India. Agriculture in these islands is dominated by plantation crops, arecanut being the popular one. However, mono-cropping is not desirable, especially in widely spaced crops within island ecosystems where land is limited. To optimally utilize land resources and improve profitability, experiment on arecanut based cropping system with culantro was initiated. Culantro is a popular aromatic herb used for imparting green coriander like aroma to the cuisines. Intercropping resulted in an additional yield of culantro (2.21 t/ha), increasing net returns to ₹ 13,03,065/- compared to ₹ 9,59,600/- from the sole arecanut crop. Quality of the culantro produced in terms of plant growth, photosynthetic pigments, ascorbic acid etc. was also determined. Hence, culantro could be recommended for cultivation as an intercrop in the arecanut plantations of humid tropical Andaman Islands.