Article Abstract

Identification of a Cropping System (Cs) Alternate to Rice-Wheat System In the Indo-Gangetic Plains Under Conservation Agriculture (Ca), Which Can Improve Crop and Water Productivity, Is Needed. Therefore, the Experiment Was Undertaken at Iari Farm, New Delhi In Collaboration With Cimmyt-India During Kharif and Rabi Season of 2011-12 and 2012-13 on a Sandy Clay Loam Soil. Treatments Comprised of 3 Cropping Systems, Viz., Cotton-Wheat (C-W), Pigeon Pea-Wheat (P-W), Maize-Wheat (M-W) and 7 Tillage-And Residue-Management Practices, Viz., Conventional Till Flat-Sown, Zero-Till (Zt) Permanent Narrow Bed (Pnb), Zero-Till Permanent Broad Bed (Pbb) With Residue (R), Zero-Till Flat Bed With R, Zero-Till Flatbed Conventional (Flat Sowing After Normal Tillage), Laid-Out In a Split-Plot Design With Three Replications. Results Revealed That In All Cropping Systems, System Water Productivity (Swp) Was Highest In Zero-Till Broad Bed With Residue. Among Css, C-W Resulted In Higher Water and System Productivity Compared to P-W and M-W Systems. It Was Found 60.3, 67.9 and 63.5% Irrigation Water Savings Whereas Total Water Savings of 49.4, 56.1 and 58.7% In C-W, P-W and M-W Css, Respectively and 215.4, 172.5 and 150.8% Higher Swp Compared to Conventional Till Transplanted Rice Wheat System. Pbb + R and Zt + R Technologies Have a Wide Scope For Adoption In These Cropping Systems In This Region and Similar Agro-Ecological Conditions, As Both Technologies Had Much Higher System Grain and Water Pro ...