Performance of furrow-irrigated raised beds in rice-wheat cropping systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plain

摘要

A 2-year experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of permanent raised bed (PRB) systems on productivity and income of the rice-wheat systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plain compared with conventional farmers' practices. Both dry-seeded and transplanted rice on beds yielded less, by 8-25%, than conventional puddled transplanted rice. There was no effect of tillage and establishment method on wheat yield. Total system productivity (rice equivalent yield) of the PRB systems was lower than productivity of the conventional system by 2-16%. Net returns of the PRB systems were also significantly lower than returns of the conventional systems, except in the PRB system with transplanted rice in the low rainfall year, when irrigation water use of puddled transplanted rice was very high. The results indicate that there is a need to improve bed-planting systems to increase productivity in rice while capturing the benefits of reduced irrigation requirement.