Assessment of the Productivity and Profitability of Alternate Cropping System for Diversification of Rice –Wheat Cropping System

A field study was conducted from 2022-23 to 2023-24 through on-farm trials in Panipat district, Haryana, India, to evaluate alternative cropping systems to the traditional rice–wheat system in terms of productivity and profitability. The experiment compared three cropping systems: rice– wheat, rice – wheat with muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) in a relay system, and rice – mustard – muskmelon. Results indicated that the system productivity of the rice-mustard-muskmelon and rice-wheat+muskmelon relay cropping systems surpassed the traditional rice-wheat system by 68.3% and 49.7%, respectively. Furthermore, rice-mustard-muskmelon provided significantly higher gross (Rs. 4,66,104) and net returns (Rs. 3,32,084) compared to the other cropping systems. The findings suggest that the rice – mustard – muskmelon cropping system reduces the buildup of pests and diseases common to rice-wheat cropping system, increased land productivity, and broaden a farmer's sources of income and food. Thus, it is a viable and more remunerative alternative to the conventional rice – wheat system and holds promise for enhancing sustainability and income generation in the Indo - Gangetic Plains.