Indian Journal of Agronomy

A field experiment was conducted at Faizabad during 2000–05 to find out the feasibility of diversification of traditional rice (Oryza sativa L.) – wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.) cropping system. Rice - potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) – greengram [(Phaseolus radiatus (L.) Wilczek)] sequence was found the most efficient for production (18.1 t/ha/year), employment generation (1.18 mandays/ha/day), monetary return (Rs 43,180/ha/year) and water-use efficiency (20.1 kg/ha/mm), followed by rice-onion (Allium cepa L.). Berseem [(Trifolium alexandrinum (L.) Tuslen.] may be taken as a break crop successfully for reducing weed problem (weed-control efficiency 88.7%) in continuous rice-wheat system without any monetary loss. Rice - berseem sequence was also found the most efficient in terms of nitrogen-use efficiency (80.2 kg grain/kg N). Inclusion of potato or onion (vegetable crops) was found quite stable with stability index of 0.86 and 0.83 respectively. The sequences including greengram or berseem (leguminous crops) improved the availability of NPK and organic C of the soil.