Sustainability issues in the rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS)

Abstract

Rice-wheat cropping systems (RWCS) are labour-intensive, water-intensive, capital-intensive, and energy-intensive, and have grown less viable as the supply of these resources has decreased. This might be compounded by deterioration of soil structure, dwindling subterranean water, and lower land and water productivity, all of which pose a danger to the region's long-term viability and profitability. A paradigm shift is necessary to improve the profits, production, and long-term viability of this sequence. For this objective, scientists suggested a variety of resource-conserving technologies (RCTs) such as zero-tillage, laser-levelling, irrigation based on soil matric potential, bed planting, direct seeding, rice mechanical transplanting, and crop diversification. The various technologies are site specific, and soil texture and agro-climatic factors must be examined before using any particular RCT for a certain region. A single approach/RCT may not be sufficient to address the looming problem of producing more food grains with limited water and land. As a result, an integrated strategy is required. However, before implementing any strategy, several RWCS-related concerns must be identified, examined, and addressed holistically. In this review, an attempt was made to highlight various issues that have arisen as a result of the region's intensive rice-wheat cropping sequence, which must be considered when framing and implementing any integrated approach/project such as conservation agriculture to improve the region's RWCS production, profits, and sustainability.