Study of productivity, production efficiency, land use efficiency and labour employment in rice based cropping system

Ten cropping sequences viz.rice-wheat (T1), rice-wheat-green gram (T2), rice-wheat- Sesbania (T3), rice-wheat + mustard (5:1)-black gram (T4), rice-wheat + mustard (5:1)-cowpea (dual purpose) (T5), rice-mustard-green gram (T6), rice-toria-okra (T7), rice-veg. pea-okra (T8), ricemaize (cob) + veg. pea (1:2) - cowpea fodder (T9) and rice-potato-green gram (T10) were arranged in a randomized block design under three replications to evaluate the effect of cropping sequences on production efficiency, productivity, labour employment and land use efficiency on rice (Oryza sativa L.)- based cropping system.Experiment was conducted during 2011-12 at Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (India). Results showed that ricepotato- green gram sequence ensured highest system productivity (52 kg/ha/day) and production efficiency (Rs 412/ha/day), followed by rice-veg. pea-okra sequences. However, rice-veg. pea-okra sequence recorded maximum land use efficiency (98.6%) and rice-toria-okra employed maximum labourers (327/ha/year). In general, land use efficiency, production efficiency as well as labour employment were improved by inclusion of summer crops in sequence.