1Professor (Agronomy), College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751 003
2Dean, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, 751 003
3Professor (Soil Science)
All India Coordinated Research Project on Integrated Farming Systems, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, 751 003
*Corresponding author's Email: alokpatra2000@gmail.com
Online published on 25 October, 2019.
A field experiment was conducted during 2013–14 to 2016–17 under irrigated, medium-land condition of Bhubaneswar, Odisha, to evaluate the production potential and economics of 10 rice (Oryza sativa L.)-based biointensive cropping systems. Rice-maize (Zea mays L.) + radish (Raphanus sativus L.)-okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) + amaranth (Amaranthus viridis L.) and rice-maize + amaranth-cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] + amaranth cropping systems recorded significantly higher average rice-equivalent yield (19.91 and 19.33 t/ha respectively) than the other systems evaluated, the relative production efficiency being 137 and 130% over the rice-groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) system. Rice-based 3-crop systems having groundnut as a winter (rabi) crop showed higher land-use efficiency (95%). Rice-maize + amaranth-cowpea + amaranth system recorded the highest irrigation water-use efficiency (351 kg REY/ha), whereas rice-groundnut + amaranth-cowpea + amaranth and rice-maize + radish-okra + amaranth systems, recorded the highest apparent nutrient-use productivity (43.4 kg REY/kg NPK applied). Rice-tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum L.) + radish-cowpea + amaranth exhibited the highest energy-use efficiency (4.94), energy-output efficiency (834 MJ/ha/day); however, average maximum energy productivity was obtained in rice-maize + amaranth-cowpea + amaranth (0.38 kg REY/MJ). Rice-tomato + radish-cowpea + amaranth cropping system had highest engagement of man-days (660 days), followed by rice-tomato + radish-bittergourd (Momordica charantia L.) + amaranth (650 days) and rice-maize + radish-okra + amaranth (640 days). Rice-maize + amaranth-cowpea + amaranth and rice-maize + radish-okra + amaranth systems realized higher gross returns (285, 279 and 293, 277/ha) and net returns ( 134, 375 and 126, 235/ha). These 2 cropping systems also recorded the highest system profitability (368 and 346/ha/day), crop profitability ( 439 and 405/ha/day) and profit margin (47 and 43%) with higher benefit: cost ratio (1.89 and 1.75). Rice-tomato + radish-cowpea + amaranth, rice-broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) + radish-pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) + amaranth and rice-broccoli + amaranth-cowpea + amaranth were the next best cropping systems in order with net returns of 85, 742, 80, 923 and 79, 810/ha respectively.
Crop diversification, Economics, Energy-use efficiency, Odisha, Production efficiency, Ricebased bio-intensive cropping systems, System productivity
