Vol. 11, Issue 3 (2022)

Author(s):
Edwin Luikham, KS Shashidhar and PS Mariam Anal

Abstract:
Field experiments was conducted in foot hills of Ngarumphung, Ukhrul district during the kharif 2017 and rabi season of 2017-18 to study the influence of mulching on production potential and economics of rainfed rice-based cropping in foot hills of Manipur. Seven rice-based cropping system with and without mulching practice during rabi season were carried out. The findings indicated better conservation of residual soil moisture with straw mulching during the rabi season which resulted in increased yield of the rabi crops and was more pronounced in oat and field pea. Maximum rice equivalent yield was associated with rice – broad bean followed by rice field pea with mulching practice. Rice – lathyrus and rice – wheat sequence used the land for more periods in a year having land use efficiency of 72.33% and 71.78% respectively. The maximum production efficiency was recorded in rice – oat sequence (175.22kg/ha/day) followed by rice – field pea (30.14 kg/ha/day) with mulching. Among the cropping sequence rice- broad bean was found to be most remunerative with higher gross income, net income and benefit cost ratio followed by rice – pea with mulching under rainfed condition of Manipur.