Abstract

Rice is the predominant kharif crop grown in low and medium land situation of Assam. As the monocropping of rice is practiced by most of the farmers, the cropping intensity of the state is not upto the mark. In recent years, the farmers of the state have started growing different rabi pulses and oilseeds in sequence which helps in increasing the cropping intensity of the state as well as the farmers income. Diversification and intensification of rice-based cropping systems with remunerative and efficient crops like pulses, oilseeds and vegetables has great scope to generate maximum profit and soil health. Therefore, this study was conducted during 2016–17 and 2017–18 at farmers field to assessed 6 rice-based cropping sequences under rainfed medium land situation for their productivity, profitability and soil health. The treatments consisted of 6 rice-based cropping sequences viz. rice - rapeseed - fallow; rice - rapeseedblackgram; rice - garden pea -blackgram; rice -lentil -blackgram; rice - garden pea– Sesbania and rice - lentil-Sesbania. The results revealed that the performance of individual crops contributing the components of different cropping sequences were more or less identical in both the years of experimentation. The higher land utilization Index (92.33), employment generation (265 man days), relative equivalent yield (117.29 q/ha)), production efficiency (39.90 kg/ha), rain water productivity (8.14(kg/ha/mm), nutrientuse productivity (50.70 kg/ha/kg of nutrients applied), sustainable yield index (0.64) alongwith economic parameters like gross return (134.89103 Rs/ha), net return (66.27103 Rs/ha), benefit:cost ratio (2.16), economic efficiency (236.09 Rs/ha/day) and relative economic efficiency (149.38%) were calculated based on standard formula. The higher Soil organic carbon (0.71 & 0.64% in 0–15 and 15–30 cm depth), available Nitrogen (278.12 kg/ha), Phosphorous (36.08 kg/ha) and Potash (158.18 kg/ha) content after completion of the experiment were recorded under the sequences diversified with pulses. So, it can be concluded from the present investigation that, rice-garden pea –black gram and ricegarden pea-sesbania (GM) were found to be suitable rice-based cropping sequences in respect of farmers income is concerned. But the rice-based cropping sequences diversified with food legumes and green manuring crop contributed to more soil organic carbon and NPK status of soil.