Companion planting: success of sweet pumpkins with litchi opens up new possibilities

Humayun Kabir Joni, a school teacher, has made a significant impact in the area by cultivating sweet pumpkins as a companion crop in his litchi garden. 

This is the first time he has successfully grown them, and his innovative approach has inspired other farmers to follow suit.

Taking the initiative to experiment, he cultivated sweet pumpkins on the fallow land beneath a litchi orchard, and his first attempt proved successful.

Officials stated that Dinajpur district is home to numerous mango and litchi gardens, with thousands of acres of land remaining vacant beneath the trees in each garden. Local farmers believe that introducing sweet pumpkin cultivation as a companion crop in these vacant spaces could significantly boost the agricultural economy of the district.

Humayun Kabir Joni, 40, an agricultural teacher at Nehalgaon High School in Bochaganj upazila, is the son of Joynal Abedin from Atgaon village in the same upazila.

In an interview with BSS, Humayun mentioned that he initially purchased 1,200 seeds of improved sweet pumpkin varieties from Dinajpur and grew the seedlings at home. He then planted the seedlings in a one-acre litchi garden.

In January, he planted seedlings of various sweet pumpkin varieties and noticed more than 10 pumpkin buds on each plant. However, following advice from the Agricultural Department, he harvested five to six pumpkin plants. This approach not only boosted the crop's yield but also helped keep the sweet pumpkin plants free from pests.

Humayun said, "I've cultivated three varieties of sweet pumpkins in the litchi garden, investing around Tk1 lakh in the process. So far, I've sold sweet pumpkins worth Tk1.50 lakh to wholesalers directly from the field. There are still plenty more pumpkins left in the field."

"I hope to earn Tk5 lakh by selling sweet pumpkins this season," he added.

When asked about his method of growing sweet pumpkins in litchi gardens, Humayun explained, "As a school teacher of agriculture, I came up with this idea myself. The fallow land beneath the litchi gardens typically goes unused, so I decided to plant pumpkins there for the first time, and it was a success."

While visiting Humayun Kabir's sweet pumpkin field, this correspondent also met Abdur Rahim, a farmer from the same area. He told BSS, "I learned through Facebook that sweet pumpkins can be cultivated in litchi gardens."

"I came to see the method, and it's great to witness sweet pumpkin cultivation in litchi gardens as a companion crop. I plan to cultivate sweet pumpkins in my mango garden next year," he added.

Rezaul Karim, a field officer with the Bochaganj Upazila Agriculture Office, told BSS that following Humayun Kabir's success, many litchi and mango garden owners in the district are seeking advice from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). They are being encouraged to plant sweet pumpkins beneath the litchi trees, with the use of improved sweet pumpkin varieties expected to increase success rates, he added.

He continued, "If sweet pumpkins are cultivated across thousands of acres of litchi gardens in the district, it will not only fulfill local demand but also help meet the vegetable needs of other districts in the country."

Bochaganj Upazila Agriculture Officer Nayan Kumar Saha said, "Having witnessed the success of Humayun Kabir, other farmers will be encouraged, and I am hopeful that farmers will benefit from good yields by adopting this method."

"On behalf of the DAE, we are offering him technical guidance, and I commend Humayun Kabir Joni for this innovative initiative."

Deputy Director of Dinajpur DAE Md Nuruzzaman Mia mentioned that he recently visited litchi gardens in Bochaganj upazila to witness the cultivation of sweet pumpkins.

"I am pleased to report that it is a successful initiative," he said, revealing that garden owners will be encouraged to grow companion crops like sweet pumpkins in the fallow spaces between the trees in litchi and mango gardens across 13 upazilas in the district.

"If sweet pumpkin cultivation as a companion crop in litchi and mango gardens proves successful, it will have a significant impact on the agricultural sector in the district," he added.