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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp2 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Effect of moisture regimes and crop diversification on system productivity and soil health under North Bihar conditions

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.10321
Submitted
27 June 2025
Published
20-06-2026

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in a split-plot design and replicated thrice. The treatments comprised 5 cropping systems as the main plot, viz. C1: rice - wheat - fallow, C2: rice - wheat - green gram, C3: rice - maize - dhaincha, C4: rice - maize + potato - dhaincha, C5: rice - maize + green pea - dhaincha and moisture regimes I1 - IW/CPE = 0.6, I2 - IW/CPE = 0.8, I3 - IW/CPE = 1 as sub plot. Residues of crops were incorporated after the harvest of the crop. Experimental results revealed that the maximum REY (27.56 t/ha) production efficiency (83.05 kg/ha/day), Profitability (962.46 ₹/ha/day) and higher N, P, K uptake (399.97, 93.15, 343.14 kg/ha) were recorded under the C4 cropping system, which were significantly superior to other cropping systems. The highest relative production efficiency (175.18 %) and land use efficiency (91.64 %) were observed in C4 and C2 treatments. Maximum addition of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (153.66, 36.93, 227.66 kg/ha) through residue, MWD (3.540 mm), organic carbon content (0.497 %), available N, P2O5, K2O in soil (245.88,37.10, 153.58 kg/ha) and minimum bulk density (1.361 mg/m3) were observed in C5 which was significantly superior to other. The nutrient balance sheet shows a negative value, with the least losses of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (61.95, 31.19, 24.69) observed in C5. In moisture regimes, maximum REY (17.21 t/ha) production efficiency (53.26 kg/ha/day), profitability (603.94 ₹/ha/day) and N, P, K uptake by crops (303.61, 82.72, 265.08 kg/ha) were recorded under I3, which was significantly superior to I2 and I1. Maximum N, P, K (116.35, 35.14, 196.39 kg/ha) addition to soil and least losses of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (162.63, 45.55, 48.96) kg/ha were observed at I3 in the nutrient balance sheet.

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