Influence of tillage and crop establishment methods on system productivity and economics in rice-wheat cropping system

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to find out profitable tillage and crop establishment methods in ricewheat
system in eastern Indegangatic Plain (IGP). The significantly higher yield of rice under hand
and mechanical transplanting while in wheat it was under zero/rotavator till drill. Manual
transplanting produced maximum system productivity which was at par with mechanical
transplanting of rice. However, zero till (ZT) drill sowing produced maximum system productivity
which was on par to conventional sowing. Among different crop establishment methods highest
gross returns was obtained with hand transplanting but hand transplanting gave maximum net
returns which was followed by mechanical transplanting and drum seeding. In wheat, ZT drill
sowing recorded maximum net returns. The manual rice transplanting produced maximum gross
returns and B:C ratio of the system closely followed by mechanical transplanting and both proved
significantly superior to drum seeding and ZT drill sowing. It was concluded that hand/mechanical
transplanting of rice followed ZT/roatavator till wheat drilling found best crop establishment
methods in rice-wheat system of eastern IGP for improving productivity and profitability.