Evaluation of Different Crop Sequence Production Potential, Economics and Nutrient Balance under New Alluvial Situation Of NEPZ

A field experiment was conducted during 2014-16 at Kalyani, under the aegis of Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidayalayathe to evaluate the most profitable and efficient cropping systems for indogangetic belt of west Bengal. Treatment comprised of 14 cropping sequence system tested in randomized block design with three replications. For comparison between crop sequences, the yields of all crop sequences were converted into rice equivalent on price basis. With various treatments, more rice equivalent yield was observed with rice-mung sequence (5897 kg/ha), and was significantly higher than rest of the sequence during kharif season and was at par with the maize-wheat (5868 kg/ha), chilly- wheat (5694 kg/ha) and maizecabbage (5503 kg/ha) system. This tested crop sequence resulted in 21.9, 21.3, 17.7 and 13.7 % more grain yield over traditional practice of rice- wheat system, which is most dominant in this region. However, during Rabi season rice- potato (6613 kg/ha), gave significantly more economic yield compare to all other cropping pattern. This sequence resulted in 128.1 % more rice equivalent grain yield over traditional practice of rice- wheat system. Further, rice - cauliflower sequence gave the highest net return (Rs. 97.58 thousand/ha), followed by rice – chickpea (Rs. 88.69 thousand/ha) and rice – mung (Rs. 84.36 thousand/ha). Higher benefit: cost ratio was obtained from ricemung (2.23) and was just followed by chilly –wheat (2.22) and ricecauliflower (2.19) cropping sequence. Present work revealed that, productivity, profitability and sustainable yield index were higher under rice – cauliflower and rice – mung cropping sequence then the traditional rice –wheat sequence. Further, overall nutrient mining by this system was quite low compared to other sequences and suitable under this zone. Keywords: Cropping Sequence; Nutrient Balance Sheet; Profitability; SYI; Yield