Diversification and intensification of maize (Zea mays)wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system for sustainable productivity and profitability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v60i1.4438Keywords:
Energy-use efficiency, Maizegrain-equivalent yield, Maizewheat cropping system, Prof- itability, SustainabilityAbstract
A field experiment was carried out on farmers fields in 2 tehsils, namely Salumber and Sarada of Udaipur dis- trict situated in Humid Southern Plain Zone of Rajasthan (IVb) from rainy season (kharif) 2007 to summer 2011, to study diversification and intensification of maize (Zea mays L.)wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) emend. Fiori & Paol.] cropping system for sustainable productivity and profitability. The experiment, consisting of 5 cropping systems, viz. maizewheat, maizewheatgreengram [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek], maize + blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] (2:2)wheatokra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench], clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taubert]wheatgreengram and clusterbeanwheatokra, was laid out in randomized block design considering every farmer (12) as replication. Maize + blackgram (2:2)wheatokra cropping system recorded the highest maizegrain-equivalent yield (26.13 t/ha), gross returns ( 263.2 103/ha), net returns ( 205.8 103/ha), land-use efficiency (88.2%), production efficiency (81.1 kg/ha/day), sustainable yield index (0.57), sustainable value index (0.46), relative productivity efficiency (202.8%), relative economic efficiency (205.0%) and total calorific value (117.3 103 MJ/ha). However, benefit: cost ratio (5.10:1) and monetary efficiency ( 647.2/ha/day) were the high- est in clusterbeanwheatokra. Maize + blackgram (2:2)wheatokra recorded the highest total input energy (52.7 103 MJ/ha), while maizewheatgreengram cropping system produced the highest output energy (301.8 103 MJ/ha). On the other hand, the maximum values of energy-use efficiency (7.52), energy-output efficiency (1150.2 MJ/ha/day), energy intensiveness (9.49 MJ/ ) and specific energy (4.13 MJ/kg) were found in maizewheat crop- ping system, while energy productivity in clusterbeanwheatokra cropping system (581.9 g/MJ).References
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