Effect of tillage practices and crop diversification on productivity, resource-use efficiency and economics of maize (Zea mays)/soybean (Glycine max)-based cropping systems

The field experiment was conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi in a permanent layout, during the rainy, winter and spring/summer season of 2010–12 and rainy season of 2012; to study the effect of 2 tillage practices {Conventional tillage (CT) and minimum tillage (MT) with mulching of crop residue @ 5 tonnes/ha in each crop) and 10 cropping systems with 300% cropping intensity (Maize (Zea mays L.)/soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] in rainy season—wheat {Triticum aestivum (L.) emend Fiori & Paol.}/coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.)/(fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.)/vegetable pea {Pisum sativum (L.) var hortense }/potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) in winter season and green gram {Vigna radiata (L.) Wilezek} after wheat/coriander/fenugreek and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) after vegetable pea/potato during spring/summer seasons) on system productivity, resource-use efficiency and economics. MT with mulching resulted in 5.4% higher system productivity than CT during 2010–11, which increased to 7.4% in 2011–12. On an average, system productivity of soybean-based cropping systems was higher than the respective maize-based cropping systems. With intervention of vegetable pea and potato during winter and sunflower during spring, the productivity of maize/soybean–vegetable pea/potato– sunflower systems increased up to 128% over maize/soybean–wheat–green gram system. Similarly replacement of wheat with coriander in maize/soybean–wheat–green gram system also improved system productivity markedly. MT with crop residue cover recorded 12.7% increase in production efficiency (45.2 and 40.1 kg/ha/day, average of 2 years under minimum and conventional tillage) and 27.5% in water productivity (3.06 and 2.40 kg/m³, average of 2 years under minimum and conventional tillage) over CT. In maize as well as soybean based cropping systems production efficiency {71.1 and 78.6 kg maize grain equivalent yield (MGEY)/ha/day average of 2 years under maize and soybean respectively} and water productivity (4.11 and 4.04 kg MGEY/m³) were the highest with vegetable pea during winter and sunflower during spring, followed by potato–sunflower. The employment generation was the maximum with potato–sunflower followed by vegetable pea–sunflower. MT resulted in higher net profit (119.2×10³) and economic efficiency (326/ha/day) than CT. Among cropping systems, maximum net returns (230×10³/ha), benefit: cost ratio ( 3.93) and economic efficiency ( 631 ha/day) were recorded in soybean—vegetable pea–sunflower system followed by maize—vegetable pea—sunflower system ( 204×10³; 3.62; 573/ha/day, respectively). Based on the study, minimum tillage with crop residue cover and maize/soybean–vegetable pea–sunflower system followed by maize/soybean–potato–sunflower system were found more productive, resource-use efficient and remunerative under irrigated condition of north-west part of India.