STUDIES ON INCREASING THE UTILIZATION OF NATURAL-RESOURCES THROUGH INTENSIVE CROPPING SYSTEMS

Under upland condition, maize-potato + mustard-blackgram system produced the highest yields (4.5 t cereal, 18.3 t potato, 0.87 t mustard and 1.14 t pulse ha-1 year-1 and rice equivalent of 21.54 t ha-1 yr-1). It proved to be the most remunerative with the net returns of Rs 21,806 ha-1 year-1, followed by rice-wheat-greengram which gave net returns of Rs 17,425 ha-1 year-1. While, under lowland condition, rice-maize-maize + cowpea (F) system gave 9.79 t cereals and 42.3 t ha-1 fodder yield and the highest net returns of Rs 16,989, but rice-potato + mustard-blackgram system gave higher employment (645 man days ha-1 year-1), yielding 5.37 t rice, 12.8 t potato, 0.55 t mustard and 0.45 t blackgram ha-1 year-1 and greater rice grain yield equivalent (15.09 t ha-1 year-1). Next system which proved more productive and remunerative was rice-wheat + mustard-greengram with the net returns of Rs 13,974 ha-1 year-1.