Coconut is the major irrigated fruit crop of Konkan region covering an area of 28,000 Hectares. The limited size of land holding neither provide sufficient employment nor sustains a family from its income. Further, vagaries of nature, pest and disease problems, falling prices of coconut are of major concern and contribute as deciding factor for profit or loss of coconut farming. 

As coconut is an irrigated crop whose roots spread only up to 2m from the trunk, about 70-75% of the area remains vacant. Hence this vacant area can be utilized efficiently for cultivating companion crops as mixed crops under the partial shade. From the past experience, spices crops fits well in this mixed cropping system under coconut as they require partial shade. This system not only increases the yield from spices, but due to additional irrigation, fertilizers and organic manures, favorable microclimate is created which increases the yield of main crop of coconut by 35 to 80%. Thus this system provides sustainability and social security to the poor farmers of the region. 

In this system, under coconut plantation, spices like nutmeg/clove, cinnamon and black pepper is to be grown as mixed crops. In view of long duration of these crops utmost care in planning, layout, selection of varieties, integrated nutrient management (INM), efficient use of irrigation water through drip/micro irrigation system, integrated pest and disease management (IPM), use of improved tools and machinery, pre and post harvest management has to be done. In such a well managed mixed cropping system, under favorable conditions, an income of Rs. 1.0 lakh is assured to the farmer and hence this system is named as Lakhi Baug. 

The layout diagramme of Lakhi Baug is given below: