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Conservation agriculture (CA) based on best‐bet crop management practices may increase crop and water productivity, as well as conserve and sustain soil health and natural resources. In a 2‐year study, we assessed the effects of tillage and crop establishment (TCE) methods on productivity, profitability and soil physical properties in a rice–wheat (RW) system. The six TCE treatments were used to study the impact, which are puddled transplanted rice followed by conventionally tilled wheat (CTPR–CTW), direct‐seeded rice on the flat followed by zero‐till wheat (CTDSR–ZTW), zero‐till direct‐seeded rice with residue followed by zero‐till wheat with residue (ZTDSR+R–ZTW+R), transplanted rice after rotavator puddling followed by zero‐till wheat (RTTPR–ZTW), transplanted rice after rotavator puddling followed by rotary till wheat (RTTPR–RTW) and farmer practice rice–wheat (FP–RW). Result of the study revealed that mean rice yield was not significantly affected by different TCE methods. Wheat planted with ZTDSR+R–ZTW+R gave 30% larger grain yield than FP‐RW. Overall, among all the TCE treatments, the RW system yields and net returns were maximum under ZTDSR+R–ZTW+R. The fastest mean infiltration rate (0.10 cm hr–1) was registered in ZTDSR+R–ZTW+R plots, whereas the slowest was in FP‐RW plots (0.05 cm hr–1). Bulk density at 15–20 cm soil depth was least in ZTDSR+R–ZTW+R (1.70 Mg m–3) and greatest in FP‐RW (1.73 Mg m–3). Results from this study revealed that conventionally tilled (CT) and transplanting of rice could be successfully replaced by adoption of the profitable double ZT–RW system.

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The 56 front line demonstrations were conducted in mid-western plain zone of Uttar Pradesh to evaluate the effect of front line demonstrations on productivity and profitability of urdbean during Kharif seasons of 2010 to 2012 at farmer's fields of different locations in Budaun district. Improved technology with ICM produced 27.27 per cent higher average grain yield as compared to prevailing farmers practice (791 kg/ha). The maximum technology gap (470 kg/ha) and index (32.41%) was observed in the year 2011 in comparison to the years of 2010 and 2012. The front line demonstrations recorded higher average gross returns (Rs. 35363/ha) and net return (Rs. 24240/ha) with higher cost: benefit ratio (3.15) compared to farmers practice. Further, data show that the average additional cost of cultivation (Rs.708/ha) under integrated crop management demonstrations yielded additional net returns of Rs. 6839 per hectare with incremental benefit cost ratio of 0.50. Majority of the respondent farmers expressed their high (48.57%) to the medium (34.64%) level of satisfaction for the improved ICM technology under real farm situations with very few (16.79%) of respondents expressed lower level of satisfaction.