Effect of different rice-based cropping systems for increasing productivity and profitability in Inceptisols (Matasi) under irrigated condition of Chhattisgarh plains

Abstract

An investigation into the diversification of rice-based cropping systems for optimizing yield, resource utilization, and economic benefits under irrigated conditions was performed during the kharif, rabi, and zaid seasons of 2018-2019 and 2019-2020. This field experiment was carried out at the Research cum Instructional farm, Pt. SKS College of Agriculture and Research Station, IGKV, Surgi Rajnandgaon. The experimental soil, a sandy loam Inceptisol (Matasi), displayed a neutral pH, limited organic carbon, and low available nitrogen and phosphorus, with moderate available potassium. Ten varied rice-based cropping system treatments were assessed, utilizing a randomized block design with three replications: T1: rice-rice-fallow; T2: rice-chickpea-fallow; T3: rice-wheat-greengram; T4: rice-sweet corn + cowpea (1:1)-clusterbean; T5: rice-chickpea-vegetable-sesame T6 - rice - garlic - cowpea, T7 - rice - coriander (leaf) - sweet potato, (T8) Rice- pea-okra (T9) rice- onion and coriander (leaf) (3:1)- greengram, and rice, potato, and blackgram (T10). The system profitability and relative economic efficiency were significantly highest under rice - sweet corn + cowpea (1:1) - clusterbean (T4) cropping system. The rice-potato-blackgram (T10) cropping system yielded the highest system productivity and relative production efficiency, demonstrating a significant increase compared to other systems. However, when considering production efficiency alone, the rice-coriander (leaf)-sweet potato (T7) cropping system exhibited the maximum values across the two-year study.