Achieving an economically feasible and environmentally robust model in agriculture while satisfying the expanding population’s food demands is a global challenge. Hence, a three-year (2014–2017) study was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to design environmentally clean, energy-efficient, and profitable cropping systems. Twelve cropping systems viz., rice-wheat (CS₁), basmati rice-hayola (transplanted)-mung bean (CS₂), basmati rice-radish-maize (CS₃), maize-potato-maize (CS₄), maize + turmeric-barley + linseed (CS₅), maize + turmeric-wheat + linseed (CS₆), maize + radish-wheat + linseed-mung bean (CS₇), groundnut + pigeon pea (5:1)-wheat + sarson (9:1) (CS₈), maize + black gram-pea (bed) + celery (furrows) (CS₉),_: maize + pigeon pea-chickpea (bed) + gobhi sarson (furrows) (CS₁₀), maize (green cobs) + vegetable cowpea + dhaincha (Sesbania spp.)-chickpea + gobhi sarson (CS₁₁) and sorghum + cowpea (fodder)-wheat + gobhi sarson (9:1) (CS₁₂) were tested in a four-times-replicated randomized block design. CS₁₁ had the maximum system productivity (28.57 Mg ha⁻¹), production efficiency (78.27 Kg Day⁻¹ ha⁻¹), irrigation water use efficiency (2.38 kg m⁻³), system net returns (4413.3 US$ ha⁻¹), and benefit to cost (B:C) ratio (2.83) over others. In comparison to the CS₁ system, this cropping system required ~78% less irrigation water for a unit economic production. However, the cultivation of CS₁₂ registered the highest energy use efficiency (49.06%), net energy returns (6.46 × 10³ MJ ha⁻¹), and global warming potential (GWP) (Mg CO₂ e ha⁻¹) at spatial scale. Among all the intensified systems, CS₁₁ had the lowest GHGI (0.29 kg CO₂ e kg⁻¹). Furthermore, cultivation of CS₆ resulted in the maximum bacterial and actinomycetes population in the soil, while CS₅ yielded the highest fungal count (23.8 × 10³ cfu g⁻¹ dry soil) in soil. Our study suggests that the cultivation of CS₁₁ is a resource-efficient, economically viable, and environmentally clean production system and could be a potential alternative to rice-wheat systems for developing a green economy policy for agricultural development in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) of India.

A field experiment was conducted at Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur during 2010-11 and 2011-12 to study the Impact of cropping pattern on growth, yield attributes and system productivity of citronella (Citronella winterianus L.) - pulses intercropping system in Central India. There was significant superiority in growth, yield attributes and yield of sole cropping as compared to their intercropping. On an average significantly higher herbage yield of first (202.74 q/ha) and second cutting (161.15 q/ha) was recorded in citronella sole cropping followed by 2:1 row ratio of citronella + pigeonpea. However, the citronella sole cropping gave significantly highest citronella equivalent oil yield and net returns than other cropping systems. The higher B: C ratio was recorded under citronella: pigeonpea 2:2 row ratio (12.6) in 2010-11 and citronella: pigeonpea (2:1) (8.75) in 2011-12 than other cropping systems. The higher LER values in citronella: pigeonpea intercropping, i.e.1.03 to 1.08, clearly indicate 3 to 8% advantage over their sole stand. Citronella sole recorded the highest crop profitability (Rupees753 to 837 ha/day).

The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences