SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY OF DIVERSIFIED RICE-BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS UNDER SOUTH GUJARAT CONDITION

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2007-08 to 2011-12 at Farming System Research Farm, Navsari Agriculture University, Navsari on clayey soil, having 7.8 pH, organic carbon 0.59 %, available nitrogen 194 kg/ha, P 18.2 kg/ha and K 153 kg/ha to evaluate the sustainable productivity and profitability of diversified rice-based cropping systems under south Gujarat condition. Ten Rice based cropping systems were evaluated for production potential in randomized block design with three replications. In pooled results, treatment T6: Rice -sorghum (G) –sorghum ratoon (G) recorded significantly higher paddy equivalent yield (13488 kg/ha) which was at par with treatment T3 (13095 kg/ha), T9 (12463 kg /ha), T7 (12379 kg/ha) and T2 (12273 kg/ha). The minimum PEY (7866 kg/ha) were recorded under T1: Rice- wheat: fallow in all experimental years as well as in pooled. Highest net return/ha was recorded in treatment T6: Rice-sorghum (G) – ratoon sorghum (G) i.e. Rs. 97,567 /ha followed by T7 (Rs. 84,102 /ha) and T2 (Rs. 82,957 /ha). The BCR value was highest under T6 (2.38) followed by T7 (1.95). The highest employment generation (397 man days/year) was recorded in Rice - green gram – groundnut cropping system (T3). Keywords: Diversification, employment generation, Paddy equivalent yield, System productivity, System profitability.