Enhancement of productivity and profitability of small farmers through Bio intensive complimentary cropping systems

Abstract

Farm efficiency has to be improved by introducing diversified cropping systems which may also help in improving the factor productivity and farm profitability. Hence identification of bio intensive complimentary cropping systems by inclusion of more hardy cereals and pulse crops in the system which are ecologically sustainable and more viable is very pertinent. A field experiment was conducted during 2016-17 at AICRP on Integrated Farming Systems, Professor Jayashankar Telangana Sate Agricultural University, Rajendranagar to identify bio-intensive complementary cropping systems under I.D conditions for light textured soils of Southern Telangana Zone. The experiment was laid out with twelve cropping systems as treatments in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. On system basis, among the twelve cropping systems tested, cotton + green gram (1:2) –maize for green cobs system recorded highest system productivity in terms of maize equivalent yield (11803 kg ha-1) with Rs 78,820 ha-1 of net returns followed by Bt cotton + soybean (1:3) – sesame + groundnut (2:4) system (10155 kg ha-1). Higher production efficiency (45.40 kg ha-1day-1), water productivity (21.46 (kg ha-1mm-1) and economic efficiency (303.15 Rs ha-1 day-1), were also recorded with cotton + green gram (1:2) – maize for green cobs system. Employment generation (man days) was also higher with Bt cotton + soybean (1:3) – sesame + groundnut (2:4) system (151) followed by cotton + green gram (1:2) – maize for green cobs system (114).