Intensification of rice (Oryza sativa)-based cropping sequences with summer mungbean (Vigna radiata) in eastern Uttar Pradesh

A field experiment was carried out during 2005–08 at Zonal Agriculture Research Sub-Station, Bari-Bagh, Ghazipur to evaluate the productivity, profitability and sustainability of rice (Oryza sativa L.)-based cropping sequences. In these 14 cropping sequences, rice was sequenced with feasible rabi viz., wheat {Triticum aestivum (L.) emend. Fiori & Paol} lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus), pea (Pisum sativum L.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), frenchbean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), mustard {Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss} and linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) with and without inclusion of mungbean {Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek} in summer and tested in randomized block design with three replications. Inclusion of mungbean during summer significantly increased the rice-equivalent yield. Rice-wheat-mungbean cropping sequence recorded the highest productivity (11.79 t/ha) in terms of rice equivalent yield with maximum gross returns (58,837/ha), net returns ( 28,532/ha), benefit: cost ratio (0.94), as well as production efficiency (96.06) and land use efficiency (81.37%). Rice-wheat-moongbean sequence was followed by rice-chickpea-mungbean and rice-mustard-mungbean pertaining to these parameters. Rice-wheat-fallow cropping sequence was more sustainable (0.67) and sustainability further improved to 0.87 when sequenced with moongbean in summer.