Diversification of rice (Oryza sativa L.) based cropping systems for higher productivity and resource use efficiency in major soil series of Upper Brahmaputra valley of Assam.

Abstract

Continuous adoption of rice-rice year after year has led to deterioration of soil quality resulting in a serious threat to its sustainability in high rainfall region of Brahmaputra valley of Assam. On-farm field experiments were conducted during 2005 to 2008 on four different soil series viz., Lahangaon Series (Aeric Fluvaquents), Bhogdai Series (Fluvaquentic Endoaquepts), Matikhola Series (Typic Endoaquepts) and Teok series (Typic Fluvaquents) of Jorhat district, Assam to evaluate production potential and resource use efficiency of four rice based cropping systems at two levels of management i.e. farmers’ practice (FP) and recommended package of practices (RPP). The rice equivalent yield (REY) of rice-potato cropping system in Lahangaon Series with RPP (156.6 q/ha) was found to be economically significant followed by Bhogdai (138.4 q/ha) and Matikhola (111.07 q/ha), whereas, rice-pea (100.9 q/ha) performed best and was found economically viable in Teok series under flooded situation. Thus, rice-potato system was the most productive, sustainable, resource-use efficient and remunerative cropping system followed by rice-pea and rice-mustard systems. RPP performed better than farmers’ practice at all the soil series for all crops and cropping systems.