Performance of Rice-Wheat Cropping System under Different Production Systems in Irrigated Subtropics of Jammu

Abstract

The present study was conducted during 2022-23 and 2023-24 at the Research Farm, FSR Centre, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu, Main Campus Chatha. The experimental site is located at a latitude of 32°40′ N, longitude of 74°58′ E, and an altitude of 332 m above mean sea level. The region experiences an annual rainfall of 1050-1115 mm, with 70% occurring between June and September. The study evaluated the performance of a rice-wheat cropping system under four production systems: P1 (Absolute control), P2 (Organic farming), P3 (Conventional farming), and P4 (Natural farming). Results revealed that conventional farming consistently achieved significantly higher productivity in both crops. For rice, conventional farming recorded the highest grain yield (28.49 q/ha) and straw yield (55.06 q/ha), outperforming organic farming (25.53 q/ha and 53.45 q/ha) and natural farming (24.67 q/ha and 51.46 q/ha). Similarly, for wheat, conventional farming resulted in the highest grain yield (39.98 q/ha) and straw yield (53.32 q/ha), compared to organic farming (35.52 q/ha and 50.13 q/ha) and natural farming (30.87 q/ha and 48.09 q/ha). A slight improvement in grain and straw yields was observed during the second year across all production systems, except the absolute control. The findings demonstrate the superior performance of conventional farming for maximizing crop productivity in the irrigated subtropical conditions of Jammu while highlighting the potential for further optimization of organic and natural farming systems for sustainable agriculture.