Evaluation of productive and profitable cropping sequences for crop diversification under Kymore Plateau and Satpura Hills Zone of Madhya Pradesh

Conventional cereal-based monocropping in the Kymore Plateau and Satpura Hills of Madhya Pradesh has often resulted in low productivity and limited profitability, necessitating diversification strategies. A field experiment was conducted during 2023-24 and 2024-25 at the Research Farm of JNKVV, Jabalpur, to evaluate twelve diversified cropping sequences under irrigated conditions. The study assessed rice equivalent yield, system productivity, production efficiency, land use efficiency, water productivity, and economic returns. Results indicated that vegetable-based systems markedly outperformed traditional rice-wheat and rice-chickpea sequences. The sequence Cowpea - Cabbage - Okra achieved the highest rice equivalent yield (23.43 t ha⁻¹), system productivity (64.47 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹), water productivity (15.12 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹), and net monetary returns (₹ 347.79 × 10³ ha⁻¹) with a benefit-cost ratio of 2.96. Similarly, Rice - Cabbage - Green gram and Okra - Brinjal - Amaranthus demonstrated strong performance in terms of productivity and profitability. In contrast, pulse-oilseed-based sequences such as Arhar + Soybean - Sesame recorded the lowest productivity and profitability despite relatively higher land use efficiency. The results confirm that the integration of short-duration legumes and high-value vegetables significantly enhances production, profitability, and water use efficiency. Diversified vegetable-pulse sequences therefore represent promising alternatives for sustainable intensification and income generation in central India.