Production potential of rice–based cropping systems under irrigated conditions of eastern Uttar Pradesh

A field experiment was planned and conducted during the rainy (Kharif) and winter (Rabi) seasons of 2021–22 and in the summer (Zaid) season of 2022 at Agronomy Research Farm, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.) to investigate the productivity, profitability, and resource efficiency of rice based cropping systems under irrigated conditions in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The experiment was designed in randomized block design with three replications and ten treatments, viz. rice–wheat–fallow, rice– wheat–greengram, rice–french bean–greengram, rice–chickpea–Cowpea, rice–mustard–greengram, rice–linseed– blackgram, rice–berseem–sorghum, rice–oat–maize + cowpea, rice–cauliflower–okra and rice–potato–cowpea. The maximum rice equivalent yield was recorded (20.16 t/ha) with the rice–potato–cowpea cropping system, which was significantly higher than the others. System profitability was also found to be maximum (`727.22/ha/day) in rice–potato–cowpea and the lowest was with rice–berseem–sorghum (`251.33/ha/day). The rice–potato–cowpea cropping system recorded the maximum net returns (`265,435/ha) and benefit cost ratio (2.11). The highest system productivity 298.90 kg/ha/day was recorded by the rice–berseem–sorghum sequence followed by rice–oat– maize + cowpea (287.50 kg/ha/day). So, rice–potato–cowpea could be recommended for better productivity and profitability for the farmers of eastern Uttar Pradesh.