Cropping systems of central India: an energy and economic analysis.

Abstract

The study attempts to analyze the energy input-output relationship and economic returns of the cropping systems in central India. The data collected from farmers through multistage random sampling techniques, were subjected to descriptive analysis of simple proportions and percentages. Findings reveal that total energy involved in soybean- wheat system (19817 MJ ha 1; renewable 5507 MJ ha 1 and non-renewable 14310 MJ ha 1) is much greater than soybean-chickpea (11239 MJ ha 1; renewable 4883 MJ ha 1 and non-renewable 6356 MJ ha 1), pigeonpea monocropping (2329 MJ ha 1; renewable 714 MJ ha 1 and non-renewable 1616 MJ ha 1), fallow-wheat (13716 MJ ha 1; renewable 2810 MJ ha 1 and non-renewable 10906 MJ ha 1) and fallow- chickpea (4445 MJ ha 1; renewable 2526 MJ ha 1 and non-renewable 1919 MJ ha 1). The percentage of non-renewable energy is higher than renewable energy inputs. Soybean-wheat (70%) and fallow-wheat (78%) systems resorted to more use of non-renewable energy than renewable energy. In soybean-chickpea system share of non-renewable energy is 52%. The energy outputs follow the order: soybean-wheat (70495 MJ ha 1) > fallow-wheat (52084 MJ ha 1) > soybean-chickpea (44485 MJ ha 1) > pigeonpea monocropping (20427 MJ ha 1) > fallow-chickpea (20357 MJ ha 1); energy efficiency is the highest in pigeonpea monocropping (8.76); for other systems it ranged from 3.67 in soybean-wheat to 4.63 in fallow-chickpea system. The net energy of the systems is 50678 MJ ha 1 in soybean-wheat, 38368 MJ ha 1 in fallow-wheat, 33246 MJ ha 1 in soybean-chickpea, 18098 MJ ha 1 in pigeonpea monocropping and 15912 MJ ha 1 in fallow-chickpea. Though the soybean-wheat system results in highest net energy, its energy productivity (0.269 kg MJ 1) is the lowest and that of fallow-wheat system is 0.288 kgMJ 1. It is comparatively higher for other systems, viz., soybean-chickpea (0.307 kg MJ 1), pigeonpea monocropping (0.643 kg MJ 1) and fallow-chickpea (0.342 kg MJ 1). Further, energy intensity is 3.84 MJ kg 1 and 0.887 MJ Rs. 1 in physical and economic terms, respectively, in the soybean- wheat system, and are greater than other systems, viz., soybeanchickpea (3.43 MJ kg 1 and 0.577 MJ Rs. 1), pigeonpea monocropping (1.55 MJ kg 1 and 0.243 MJ Rs. 1), fallow-wheat (3.59 MJ kg 1 and 1.408 MJ Rs. 1) and fallow-chickpea (2.96 MJ kg 1 and 0.569 MJ Rs. 1). But the soybean-wheat cropping system has been found more remunerative in terms of benefit-cost ratio (1.27) owing to its ability to generate the highest return per rupee investment than soybean-chickpea (1.23) and pigeonpea monocropping (1.23). The fallow-based systems are having comparatively better benefit/cost ratio. The investment requirement and also net return is highest for soybean-wheat system, thus is preferred by the large farmers. Farmers are forced to use soybeanchickpea crop rotation whenever there is lack of adequate rainfall during rainy season and irrigation facilities in succeeding winter season. Thus, fallow-chickpea rotation is suitable for extremely poor farmers with no irrigation facilities.