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

Abstract

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 201012 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 seasonwheat {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 productiv- ity, 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 201112. On an average, system productivity of soybean-based crop- ping 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/soybeanvegetable pea/potato sunflower systems increased up to 128% over maize/soybeanwheatgreen gram system. Similarly replacement of wheat with coriander in maize/soybeanwheatgreen gram system also improved system productivity mark- edly. MT with crop residue cover recorded 12.7% increase in production efficiency (45.2 and 40.1 kg/ha/day, aver- age 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 potatosunflower. The employment genera- tion was the maximum with potatosunflower followed by vegetable peasunflower. MT resulted in higher net profit ( 119.2103) and economic efficiency ( 326/ha/day) than CT. Among cropping systems, maximum net re- turns ( 230103/ha), benefit : cost ratio ( 3.93) and economic efficiency ( 631 ha/day) were recorded in soy- beanvegetable peasunflower system followed by maizevegetable peasunflower system ( 204103; 3.62; 573/ ha/day, respectively). Based on the study, minimum tillage with crop residue cover and maize/soy- beanvegetable peasunflower system followed by maize/soybeanpotatosunflower system were found more productive, resource-use efficient and remunerative under irrigated condition of north-west part of India.