2023, Vol. 8, Special Issue 4

An experiment was conducted at the farmers field of District Barabanki, Basti and Gorakhpur during 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 to find out the best crop establishment methods in rice –wheat cropping system and water use efficiency. Rice sown with drum seeder in puddled condition gave highest grain yield among the rice establishment methods tested. Rice sown with drum seeder recorded 8.8, 15.0, and 25.7% higher grain yield over farmer practice in Basti and Gorakhpur Barabanki locations, respectively. Wheat planted in Rice (UPMTP) - Wheat (ZT) cropping system registered 4.6 t ha^-1 grain yields, markedly higher than Farmers practice (FP). Zero tillage wheat sowing method after rice obtained 13.5 10.4, and 12.5% higher yield over the farmers practice in Barabanki, Basti and Gorakhpur locations. Treatment unpuddled mechanical transplanted rice - zero tillage wheat recorded highest rice equivalent yield 9.9 t ha^-1yr^-1. Treatments rice direct seeded rice (DSR) – wheat (ZT) followed by rice sown with drum seeder (DMS) –wheat (ZT) and rice (UPMTP) –wheat (ZT) obtained higher net return and B: C ratio respectively. However, compared with traditional practice of cultivation farmers much convinced with rice sown either dry direct seeded or mechanical transplanted, drum seeding and wheat by zero tillage technology, especially in terms of independency of agricultural labourers, yield potential and benefit-cost ratio. Results from this study revealed that conventionally tilled (CT) and transplanting of rice could be successfully replaced by adoption of the profitable DSR - wheat (ZT) in –rice-wheat system.