YIELD, ECONOMICS AND NUTRIENT BALANCE IN CROPPING SYSTEMS BASED ON RICE (ORYZA-SATIVA)

A field experiment was conducted at Faizabad during 1985-86 to 1987-88 to find out the most remunerative cropping system under the prevailing conditions in eastern Uttar Pradesh of the 6 rice (Oryza sativa L.)-based cropping systems. Rice-wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori & Paol.) + Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czemj. & Cosson]-greengram (Phaseolus radiatus L.) proved the most remunerative system with a net profit of Rs 12 178/ha/year and 1.07 cost : benefit ratio, whereas rice-wheat-fallow sequence showed the highest cost : benefit ratio. The highest cost of cultivation (Rs 17 337/ha/year) was incurred in rice-potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) + Indian mustard-blackgram (Phaseolus mungo L.) cropping system. This system also gave the highest employment opportunity and the highest rice-grain equivalent. The maximum removal of N, P and K was found in rice-maize (Zea mays L.)- maize + cowpea fodder [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] sequence. Positive apparent balance of N and P, and negative apparent balance of K was noticed in all the cropping systems except rice-maize-maize + cowpea (fodder), in which negative balance of N was found. Considering the net returns, yields and soil fertility, rice-wheat + Indian mustard-greengram was considered the best cropping system.