Diversification of rice (Oryza sativa) based cropping system for improving productivity and income in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh

Field experiments were conducted on a sandy clay loam soil during kharif and rabi 2006–07 and 2007–08 at Agriculture College Farm, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad to evaluate diversified rice (Oryza sativa L.) based cropping system with rice varieties and legume crops. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three rice varieties of different durations, viz., ‘Samba Mahsuri’ (BPT-5204), ‘Early Samba’ (M-7) and ‘Tellahamsa’ as main plot treatments in kharif and sub-plot treatments of maize (Zea mays L.) with and without herbicides, greengram (Vigna mungo L.) and blackgram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] were super imposed on the rice varieties during rabi season in three replicates. ‘Samba Mahsuri’ long duration rice produced 0.9 and 1.9 t/ha higher yield and 7,891 and 16,074/ha higher net return over ‘Early Samba’ and ‘Tellahamsa’. The performance of rabi crops was not influenced by the rice varieties of kharif season. In terms of rice equivalent yield and net returns, rice–zero tillage maize, irrespective of herbicides supplementation, was 103–197 percent superior over existing rice-pulse sequence. Soil fertility status and microbial population of the rice – maize system was lower than rice legume system.