System Productivity and Energetics of High-Value Crops Embedded Diversified Cropping Systems

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2 rainy (kharif), winter (rabi) and summer seasons (2015-17) on a sandy clay loam soil at New Delhi to evaluate 5 cropping systems viz., maize-pea-okra, maize-mustard-green gram, cotton-wheat, bottle gourd-onion and okra-wheat, for productivity, profitability and energetics. The experiment was laid-out in a randomized block design replicated 4 times. Bottle gourd-onion cropping system recorded the highest wheat-grain-equivalent yield (WGEY) of 19.9 t/ha, followed by maize-peaokra (14.06 t/ha). The lowest WGEY was recorded with maize-mustard-green gram (9.12 t/ha). The gross returns (₹ 313.56x 10 3 /ha), net returns (₹ 123.5x10 3 /ha), benefit: cost ratio (3.23), were also higher with bottle gourd-onion cropping system, while maizemustard-green gram registered the lowest gross returns, net returns and B: C ratio. The lesser input energy (25.68 x 10 3 MJ/ha) and higher energy productivity (775.2 g/MJ) was recorded with bottle gourdonion cropping system. All the five cropping systems can suitably substitute the existing ricewheat cropping system under marginal farmer's situations, not only by providing higher productivity and returns, but also provide a regular income throughout the year.

Efficient Alternate Crops and Cropping Systems for Sugarcane

“…These results are in conformity with the findings of Rao and Rogers (2006), Mukherjee (2010) in rice-cauliflower, Ashutosh et al, (2018) in pigeon pea intercropped with black gram, Bhargavi and Behera (2019) in bottle gourd-onion, Bhadre et al, (2019) in soybean, Bhat et al, (2013) in maize, Biswas (2017) in jute-potato-rice and Sujatha and Babalad (2018) in pigeon pea in intercropping system.…”

“…These results are also in line with the findings of Bhargavi and Behera (2019) in bottle gourd-onion, Ashutosh et al, (2018) in pigeon pea intercropped with black gram, Mukherje (2010 and 2016) in rice-mung and Gangwar and Singh (2011) in different alternative cropping systems.…”