Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-19T00:57:28.677Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

RELATIVE PRODUCTIVITY, PROFITABILITY AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF CROPPING SYSTEMS IN HOT ARID INDIA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2014

V. S. RATHORE ,
N. S. NATHAWAT ,
B. MEEL ,
B. M. YADAV  and
J. P. SINGH
V. S. RATHORE*
Affiliation:
Regional Research Station, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Bikaner, Rajasthan 334004, India
N. S. NATHAWAT
Affiliation:
Regional Research Station, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Bikaner, Rajasthan 334004, India
B. MEEL
Affiliation:
Regional Research Station, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Bikaner, Rajasthan 334004, India
B. M. YADAV
Affiliation:
Regional Research Station, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Bikaner, Rajasthan 334004, India
J. P. SINGH
Affiliation:
Regional Research Station, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Bikaner, Rajasthan 334004, India
*
†Corresponding author. Email: rathoreiari@yahoo.co.in
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The choice of an appropriate cropping system is critical to maintaining or enhancing agricultural sustainability. Yield, profitability and water use efficiency are important factors for determining suitability of cropping systems in hot arid region. In a two-year field experiment (2009/10–2010/11) on loam sandy soils of Bikaner, India, the production potential, profitability and water use efficiency (WUE) of five cropping systems (groundnut–wheat, groundnut–isabgol, groundnut–chickpea, cluster bean–wheat and mung bean–wheat) each at six nutrient application rate (NAR) i.e. 0, 25, 50, 75, 100% recommended dose of N and P (NP) and 100% NP + S were evaluated. The cropping systems varied significantly in terms of productivity, profitability and WUEs. Averaged across nutrient application regimes, groundnut–wheat rotation gave 300–1620 kg ha−1 and 957–3365 kg ha−1 higher grain and biomass yields, respectively, than other cropping systems. The mean annual net returns were highest for the mung bean–wheat system, which returned 32–57% higher net return than other cropping systems. The mung bean–wheat and cluster bean–wheat systems had higher WUE in terms of yields than other cropping systems. The mung bean–wheat system recorded 35–63% higher WUE in monetary terms compared with other systems. Nutrients application improved yields, profit and WUEs of cropping systems. Averaged across years and cropping systems, the application of 100% NP improved grain yields, returns and WUE by 1.7, 3.9 and 1.6 times than no application of nutrients. The results suggest that the profitability and WUEs of crop production in this hot arid environment can be improved, compared with groundnut–wheat cropping, by substituting groundnut by mung bean and nutrients application.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 50 , Issue 4 , October 2014 , pp. 549 - 572
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Biswas, B., Ghosh, D. C., Dasgupta, M., Trivedi, K. N., Timsina, J. and Doberman, A. (2006). Integrated assessment of cropping systems in the eastern Indo-Gangetic plain. Field Crops Research 99:35–47.Google Scholar
Cai, X. and Rosegrant, M. W. (2003). World water productivity: current situation and future options. In Water Productivity in Agriculture: Limit and Opportunities for Improvement, 163–178 (Eds Kijne, J. W., Barker, R. and Molden, R.). Colombo, Sri Lanka: IWMI.Google Scholar
Dayanand, and Meena, N. L. (2002). Growth, yield and economics of groundnut (Arachis hypogea) as influenced by intercrop and sulphur application. Indian Journal of Agronomy 47:345–349.Google Scholar
Faroda, A. S., Joshi, N. L., Singh, R. and Saxena, A. (2007). Resource management for sustainable crop production in arid zone – a review. Indian Journal of Agronomy 52:181–193.Google Scholar
Gangwar, B., Katyal, V. and Patel, M. M. (1999). Productivity, stability and efficiency of various crop sequences in arid ecosystem. Journal of Farming Systems Research and Development 5:1–9.Google Scholar
Gangwar, B. and Prasad, K. (2005). Cropping system management for mitigation of second-generation problems in agriculture. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 75:65–78.Google Scholar
Garg, B. K., Kathju, S., Vyas, S. P. and Lahiri, A. N. (1993). Effect of plant density and soil fertility on pearlmillet under drought and good rainfall situations. Annals of Arid Zone 32:13–20.Google Scholar
Ghosh, P. K., Dayal, D., Mandal, K. G., Wanjari, R. H. and Hati, K. M. (2003). Optimization of fertilizer schedules in fallow and groundnut-based cropping systems and an assessment of system sustainability. Field Crops Research 80:83–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gregory, P. J., Shepherd, K. D. and Cooper, P. J. (1984). Effect of fertilizer on root growth and water use of barley in northern Syria. Journal of Agricultural Science (Cambridge) 103:129–438.Google Scholar
Grover, K. K., Karsten, H. D. and Roth, G. W. 2009. Corn grain yields and yield stability in four long-term cropping systems. Agronomy Journal 101:940–946.Google Scholar
Gupta, L., Roy, A. K., Tiwari, G., Dhuria, R. and Garg, R. (2012). Effect of feeding different proportion of groundnut haulms (Arachis hypogea) and clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) on nutrient utilization and serum biochemical parameters in dromedary camels. Tropical Animal Health Production 44:1689–1695.Google Scholar
Howell, T. (2001). Enhancing water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture. Agronomy Journal 93:181–189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jat, H. S., Meena, L. R., Mann, J. S., Chand, R., Chander, S. and Sharma, S. C. (2011). Relative efficiency of different cropping sequences in a farmers participatory research programme in semi-arid agro-ecosystem of Rajasthan. Indian Journal of Agronomy 56:321–327.Google Scholar
Joshi, N. L., Dayal, D., Saxena, A., Kumawat, R. N., Singh, I., Bhati, D. S., Burman, U., Rao, S. S., Regar, P. L., Tanwar, S. P. S., Singh, H. P. and Singh, A. K. (2009). Agronomic management for sustainable crop production in arid environment. In Trends in Arid Zone Research in India, 278–323 (Eds Kar, A., Garg, B. K., Singh, M. P. and Kathju, S.). Jodhpur, India: CAZRI.Google Scholar
Joshi, N. L. and Saxena, A. (1997). Management of irrigated crops in Indian arid ecosystem. In Desertification Control in the Arid Ecosystem of India for Sustainable Development, 308–316 (Eds Singh, S. and Kar, A.). Bikaner, India: Agro-Botanical.Google Scholar
Kathju, S., Joshi, , Rao, N. L., Parveen, A. V. Kumar (1998). Arable crop production. In Fifty Years of Arid Zone Research in India, 215–252 (Eds Faroda, A. S. and Singh, M.). Jodhpur, India: CAZRI.Google Scholar
Khatik, K. L., Vaishnava, C. S. and Gupta, L. (2007). Nutritional evaluation of green gram (Vigna radiata L.) straw in sheep and goats. Indian Journal of Small Ruminants 13:196–198.Google Scholar
Molden, D. (2007). Water for Food, Water for Life: A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. London/Colombo: Earth Scan/IWMI.Google Scholar
Patel, G. N., Patel, P. T. and Patel, P. H. (2008). Yield, water use efficiency and moisture extraction pattern of summer groundnut as influenced by irrigation schedules, sulfur levels and sources. Journal of SAT Agricultural Research 6:1–4.Google Scholar
Peterson, G. A., Schlegel, A. J., Tanaka, D. L. and Jones, O. R. (1996). Precipitation use efficiency as affected by cropping and tillage systems. Journal of Production Agriculture 9:180–186.Google Scholar
Ranjhan, S. K. (1991). Chemical Composition and Nutritive Value of Indian Feeds and Feeding of Farm Animals. New Delhi, India: Indian Council of Agricultural Research, 132.Google Scholar
Rao, A. S. (2009). Climate variability and crop production in arid western Rajasthan. In Trends in Arid Zone Research in India, 48–61 (Eds Kar, A., Garg, B. K., Singh, M. P. and Kathju, S.). Jodhpur, India: CAZRI.Google Scholar
Rao, P. P. and Hall, A. J. (2003). Importance of crop residues in crop-livestock systems in India and farmers’ perceptions of fodder quality in coarse cereals. Field Crops Research 84:189–198.Google Scholar
Rao, A. S. and Singh, R. S. (1998). Climatic features and crop production. In Fifty Years of Arid Zone Research in India, 17–38 (Eds Faroda, A. S. and Singh, M.). Jodhpur, India: CAZRI.Google Scholar
Rao, A. V., Tarafdar, J. C., Sharma, S. K., Kumar, P. and Aggarwal, R. K. (1995). Influence of cropping systems on soil biochemical properties in an arid rain-fed environment. Journal of Arid Environments 31:237–244.Google Scholar
Rathore, M. S. (2003) Groundwater Exploration and Augmentation Efforts in Rajasthan – A Review. Jaipur, India: Institute of Development Studies.Google Scholar
Rathore, V. S., Singh, J. P. and Beniwal, R. K. (2009). Rainfed farming systems of hyper arid north western Rajasthan: an analysis. Annals of Arid Zone 48:125–131.Google Scholar
Rathore, V. S., Singh, J. P., Soni, M. L., Yadava, N. D. and Beniwal, R. K. (2007). Productivity, quality and resource utilization by clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) as influenced by nutrient management. Indian Journal of Agronomy 52:243–246.Google Scholar
Rathore, V. S., Singh, J. P., Soni, M. L., Yadava, N. D. and Beniwal, R. K. (2010). Evaluation of irrigated farming systems of hot arid region of north-western Rajasthan. Annals of Arid Zone 49:39–45.Google Scholar
Riedell, W. E., Schumacher, T. E., Clay, S. A., Ellsbury, M. M., Pravecek, M. and Evenson, Pd. (1998). Corn and soil fertility response to crop rotation with low, medium or high inputs. Crop Science 38:427–433.Google Scholar
Rosegrant, M. W., Ringler, C. and Zhu, T. (2009). Water for agriculture: maintaining food security under growing scarcity. Annual Review of Environment and Resources 34:205–222.Google Scholar
Saxena, A., Singh, D. V. and Joshi, N. L. (1997). Effects of tillage and cropping systems on soil moisture balance and pearl millet yield. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science 178:251–257.Google Scholar
Saxena, A., Singh, Y. V., Singh, D. V. and Patidar, M. (2003). Production potyental and economics of clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba)-based cropping systems for arid regions. Indian Journal of Agronomy 48:27–29.Google Scholar
Sharma, K. D., Pannu, R. K. and Behl, R. K. (2005). Effect of early and terminal heat stress on biomass partitioning, chlorophyll stability and yield of different wheat genotypes. In Proceedings of International Conference on Sustainable Crop Production in Stress Environments: Management and Genetic Options, 87–94 (Ed. Singh, K. B.). Jabalpur, India: Jawaharlal Krishi VishavVidhalaya.Google Scholar
Sharma, O. P. and Singh, G. D. (2005). Effect of sulphur in conjunction with growth substances on productivity of clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) and their residual effect on barley (Hordeum vulgare). Indian Journal of Agronomy 50:16–18.Google Scholar
Singh, S., Gill, O. P., Nag, A. K. and Singh, K. P. (2008b). Diversification of crop sequences in semi-arid eastern plain zone of Rajasthan. Journal of Farming System Research and Development 14:42–45.Google Scholar
Singh, Y. V., Rao, S. S. and Regar, P. L. (2010). Deficit irrigation and nitrogen effects on seed cotton yield, water productivity and yield response factor in shallow soils of semi-arid environment. Agricultural Water Management 97:965–970.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singh, Y. P., Sharma, S. C. and Man, J. S. (2005). Effect of sulphur on yield and its uptake in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) and their residual effect on succeeding wheat (Triticum aestivum). Indian Journal of Agronomy 50:116–118.Google Scholar
Singh, R., Singh, B. and Patidar, M. (2008a). Effect of preceding crops and nutrient management on productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum)-based cropping system in arid region. Indian Journal of Agronomy 53:267–272.Google Scholar
Summerfield, R. J., Hadley, P., Roberts, E. H., Minchin, F. R. and Rawsthane, S. (1984). Sensitivity of chickpea (Cicer aertinium L.) to hot temperatures during the reproductive period. Experimental Agriculture 20:77–93.Google Scholar
Yadav, R. S. and Poonia, B. L. (1996). Effect of fertilizers on the production potential of different crop sequences in arid regions. Indian Journal of Agronomy 41:199–204.Google Scholar
Zentner, R. P., Campbell, C. A., Selles, F., Jefferson, P. G., Lemke, R., McConkey, B. G., Femandez, M. R., Hamel, C., Gan, Y. and Thomas, A. G. (2006). Effect of fallow frequency, flexible rotations, legume green manure, and wheat class on the economics of wheat production in the Brown soil zone. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 86:413–423.Google Scholar
Zentner, R. P. and Campbell, C. A. (1988). First 18 years of a long-term crop rotation study in southwestern Saskatchewan – yields, grain protein, and economic performance. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 68:1–21.Google Scholar