Alternate cropping systems for disposing multiple demands

Abstract

In India, there are more than 80 pre-dominant cropping systems. Continuous growing of existing pre-dominant cropping system has resulted in stagnation or decline in productivity, particularly in rice-wheat croping system in Indo-Gangetic plains region. Excess use of inorganic fertilizers along with frequent use of pesticides and climate change have adversely offected soil health, productivity and thereby livelihood and nutritional security of small and marginal farmers. Hence, there is a need to develop site specific alternate cropping systems for efficient utilization of available resources, viz. land, water, solor energy etc and to maintain stability in the production systems for a longer period and get higher profit.