Maize as an alternative to resource-intensive rice: Empirical insights from on-farm participatory study under diverse agricultural scenarios in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of Northwestern India

Introduction Diversification of the rice-wheat (RW) cropping system is indispensable for the development of agriculture due to its adverse impacts on groundwater depletion, environment, and profitability in the north-western Gangetic plains (NWGP) of India. Although policy initiatives encouraging diversification of the RW system, significant evidence, and knowledge gaps remain particularly due to limited farmers’ participatory studies assessing the quantitative scope of crop diversification in NWGP. Methods A large number of on-farm farmers’ participatory experiments ( n = 250)on each of rice and maize were conducted to evaluate the yield, profitability, irrigation water use and water productivity, energy-use and global warming potential (GWP) in nine districts of the Haryana and Punjab states. Results and discussion Results showed significant inter-district variations in all parameters. The mean rice equivalent yield (REY) of maize was 6.6% lower than rice. However, wheat yield after maize was 16.7% higher than after rice. On average, rice required about 10 times more irrigations than maize, resulting in ~1,040% higher irrigation water productivity in maize. Cost of cultivation for rice was markedly higher due to greater energy inputs. Net returns from maize were 46.5 and 32.5% over rice, while it provided 30.3 and 6.2% higher net profit under subsidized electricity in Haryana and Punjab, respectively. Total GWP of maize was ~63% lower, energy use declined by ~271%, labourers use by 38.6%, and diesel consumption by ~37% compared to rice. These findings emphasize maize’s environmental and economic advantages, advocating its substitution for rice in suitable agro-ecologies. Nonetheless, further research, considering rice’s pivotal role in global food security, such diversification should be region-specific and supported by enabling research, extension, and policy interventions to ensure sustainability and livelihood security in northwestern India. Issues are suggested to optimize maize-based diversification in NW India.