Productivity and profitability of mung bean (Vigna radiate L. wilczek)- wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system under different tillage in semi-arid conditions

The field experiment was conducted at CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bawal (Rewari), India during 2019-20 and 2020–21. The soil of experimental site was loamy sand in texture and low in organic carbon, N and P, while medium in K. The treatment included nine tillage combinations for crop establishment under mung bean (Vigna radiate L. Wilczek)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system (MWCS) viz., Zero tillage mung bean (ZTM) fb zero tillage wheat (ZTW), ZTM fb reduced tillage wheat (RTW), ZTM fb conventional tillage wheat (CTW), Reduced tillage mung bean (RTM) fb ZTW, RTM fb RTW, RTM fb CTW, Conventional tillage mung bean (CTM) fb ZTW, CTM fb RTW, CTM fb CTW, laid out in randomised block design in three replications. The yield of mung bean was statistical at par under ZT, reduced tillage (RT) and conventional tillage (CT), whereas higher values were found under ZTM- sown in sequence with ZTW as compared to RTW and CTW during both the years. The grain yield of wheat was also statistically similar across different crop establishment methods/tillage practices in MWCS during 2019–20, however, the maximum grain yield was obtained under ZTM-ZTW (5367 kg ha⁻¹). During 2020–21, the grain yield of ZTW (5025 kg ha⁻¹) in sequence with ZTM was significantly higher than RTW (4622 kg ha⁻¹) and CTW (4593 kg ha⁻¹). Whereas in sequence with RTM, ZTW (4959 kg ha⁻¹) was superior to CTW (4641 kg ha⁻¹) but at par with RTW (4698 kg ha⁻¹). Wheat sown under ZT, RT or CT after CTM produced similar grain yields. The highest net returns (Rs. 99,656-107,168 ha⁻¹) were received when both the crops were sown under ZT, whereas, the lowest returns were under CTM-CTW (Rs. 81,969-93,091 ha⁻¹) during both the years, and B-C ratio (2.54–2.82) of also followed the similar trend. This was mainly due to lowest cost of cultivation (Rs. 61,775-62,025 ha⁻¹) under ZTM-ZTW, and highest under CTM-CTW (Rs. 69,773-71,273 ha⁻¹).