Assessing cereal based cropping systems for enhanced productivity, profitability and carbon sustainability

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif and Summer 2024-25 at Agricultural and Horticultural Research Station, Kathalagere, Davanagere to evaluate the cereal based cropping systems for productivity, profitability and carbon sustainability. It was laid out in a randomized complete block design with seven cropping systems and three replications. The treatments comprised of seven cropping systems which were evaluated as paddy - paddy, maize - maize, paddy - soybean, maize - soybean, maize + soybean (4:1) - cowpea, maize + green gram (4:1) - sunhemp and finger millet + field bean (4:1) - groundnut.Among these, maize - maize cropping system recorded the highest rice equivalent yield, maize equivalent yield, finger millet equivalent yield and system productivity (13342 kg ha^-1, 13030 kg ha^-1, 7290 kg ha^-1 and 55.59 kg ha^-1 day^-1, respectively), which was followed by maize - soybean (10857 kg ha^-1, 10576 kg ha^-1, 5917 kg ha^-1 and 50.50 kg ha^-1 day^-1, respectively) and finger millet + field bean (4:1) - groundnut system (10783 kg ha^-1, 10540 kg ha^-1, 5897 kg ha^-1 and 49.02 kg ha^-1 day^-1, respectively).The paddy - paddy cropping system recorded the highest carbon input (2682.50 kg CE ha⁻¹) and lowest carbon sustainability index (CSI) (2.73) and carbon efficiency ratio (CER) (3.73) compared to other cropping systems.The maize - maize system recorded the highest CSI (11.21) and CER (12.21). Highest net returns were found in maize - maize cropping system (330847 ₹ ha^-1) whereas benefit cost ratio was highest in finger millet + field bean (4:1) - groundnut (2.65).