Evaluation of Rice Based Cropping Sequences for Water Scarce Conditions of Parambikulam Aliyar Command Area of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at Coconut Research Station, Aliyarnagar during 2016 – 2019 to assess the performance of rice-based cropping sequences for water-scarce conditions of the Parambikulam Aliyar Project Command area of Tamil Nadu. Five cropping sequences viz., rice–sesame (T1), rice–groundnut (T2), rice– sunflower (T3), rice–castor (T4) and rice–black gram (T5) were experimented adopting Randomized Block Design with each sequence replicated four times. Results revealed that compared to the other non-legume sequences experimented, the contents of KMnO4-N and organic carbon in the post harvest soil, productivity of rice and economic efficiency were higher in rice–black gram followed by rice–groundnut sequence. Rice– castor sequence recorded the highest land utilization efficiency of 76.7 % and was the lowest in rice–black gram sequence (53.4 %). Rice equivalent yield was the highest on sequential cropping with sunflower (5755 kg ha-1) followed by groundnut (5028 kg ha-1). Production efficiency was the highest in rice– groundnut (47.5 kg ha-1 day-1) followed by rice–castor (42.5 kg ha-1 day- 1) systems. Net returns and benefit-cost ratio were higher in rice–sunflower and rice–black gram sequences followed by rice–groundnut and was the lowest in rice–sesame sequence. In terms of soil fertility, system productivity and economic returns, rice–sunflower, rice–black gram and rice–groundnut systems are highly remunerative for water-scarce conditions of Parambikulam Aliyar Command Area of Tamil Nadu.