All-India Co-ordinated Research Project on Cropping Systems, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal-741 235
In a field experiment with rice (Oryza sativa L.)-based crop sequences, viz. rice-rice-dhaincha [Sesbania cannabina (Retz.) Pers.], rice-rice, rice-mustard [Brassica juncea (L) Czernj. & Cosson]-okra (Hisbiscus esculentus), rice-potato (Solarium tuberosum L)-sesame (Sesamum indicum L), rice-potato-groundnut (Ara-chis hypogaea L), rice-potato-rice, rice-wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.)-jute (Corchorus olitorius L), rice-cabbage [Brassica oleracea L. convar. capitata (L.) Alef. var capitate]-rice and rice-mustard, were tested for their performances over 4 years during 1997–2000 at Kalyani, West Bengal. Rice-potato-groundnut gave the highest gross return, net return and benefit: cost ratio (Rs 105,117, Rs 68,019/ha/year and 1.833 respectively), followed by rice-cabbage-rice, rice-potato-rice and rice-potato-sesame. Maximum amount of energy was harvested (196,980 MJ/ha/year) from rice-potato-groundnut, followed by rice-potato-rice and rice-cabbage-rice. Rice-equivalent yield, production efficiency, land-use efficiency and energy-use efficiency were highest in rice-potato-groundnut sequence. The yield of subsequent rainy-season rice in pooled analysis was also higher in rice-potato-groundnut sequence indicating that this sequence has good effect on subsequent rice crop.
Cropping system, Net return, Benefit: cost ratio, Energy, Conservation
