Performance of Diversified Legume-based High-intensity Cropping Sequence on Productivity and Profitability

Background: Enhancing productivity while conserving soil and resources is a pre-requisite for achieving sustainable intensification of agro-ecosystems. Diversification by integrating legumes with millets for such high-intensity systems not only offers a potential of improving soil fertility by fixing nitrogen and residue addition but overall enhances proper balance in nutrient cycling, ensures efficient use of land enhancing year-round productivity under irrigated conditions. Methods: Field experiment was conducted at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu under irrigated conditions to evaluate high intensity legume-millet-millet cropping sequences. The study consisted of twelve cropping sequences laid down in a randomized block design with three replications, covering a complete annual cycle from rabi to kharif. Legume crop (Pea) was grown as common rabi crop across all treatments, followed by three millets foxtail millet, proso millet and pearl millet in the summer season and four millets finger millet, barnyard millet, little millet and kodo millet during kharif. Result: Productivity of pea remained statistically unaffected during both years. During the summer season, cropping sequences involving pearl millet recorded significantly higher yields followed by foxtail millet. While among the kharif crops, finger millet outperformed other millet crops in sequence in terms of productivity. Overall, cropping systems integrating foxtail or pearl millet during summer and finger millet during kharif achieved the significantly higher system productivity (14,533.92 and 14,582.74 kg ha-1 in the first and second year, respectively) and profitability in terms of benefit : cost ratio of 2.62 and 2.38. Hence, the inclusion of pea-foxtail/pearl millet-finger millet proved to be most productive and economical viable option for irrigated conditions.