Yield and economic viability of alternate cropping system as a diversification strategy for the rice-wheat cropping pattern

The enduring sustainability challenges of the predominant rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) in the Indo-Gangetic plains, encompassing yield stagnation, resource inefficiencies and environmental degradation, necessitated the evaluation of alternative, diversified cropping systems. A field experiment was conducted during 2022-2024 in Panipat, Haryana, where three cropping systems were investigated: the traditional rice-wheat, rice-cole crop-late sown wheat and rice-potato-late sown wheat. System productivity was assessed using wheat equivalent yield (WEY), while economic viability was evaluated through cultivation cost, net return and benefit-cost ratio (BCR). The rice-potato-late sown wheat system was found to achieve the highest productivity at 264.64 q per ha, followed by rice-cole crop-late sown wheat at 243.27 q per ha, significantly outperforming the traditional rice-wheat system (149.10 q/ha). These diversified systems demonstrated 77.49 per cent and 63.16 per cent higher productivity, respectively. Although the diversified systems incurred higher cultivation costs (Rs 221,513/ha for rice-potato-late sown wheat and Rs 212,928/ha for rice-cole crop-late sown wheat) compared to the traditional RWCS (Rs 82,083/ha), they generated substantially higher net return (Rs 380,549/ha and Rs 340,509/ha respectively, versus Rs 257,124/ha). While the RWCS exhibited the highest BCR (4.13), net return was considered a more accurate indicator of overall profitability. These findings underscore that diversified rice-based cropping systems offer a more productive and profitable alternative, contributing to enhanced food security and farm income, despite higher initial investment costs.