Abstract
A field study was conducted to evaluate the performance of diversified rice-based relay cropping systems at zero
and conventional tillage on a sandy-clay loam soil at the University of agriculture, Faisalabad for two consecutive
years. The relay cropping systems comprised rice/fallow, rice/wheat, rice/barley, rice/forage oats, rice/gram,
ricellentil, ricellinseed, rice/fenugreek (methra), rice/sunflower, rice/canola, rice/forage maize and rice/Egyptian
clover. The tillage treatments were zero and conventional tillage. The results revealed that although all the ricebased relay cropping systems included in this study proved to be more productive, economically viable and
remunerative than the rice/fallow cropping systems but rice/grain or forage legumes relay cropping system like
rice/fenugreek (methra), rice/chickpea, rice/lentil and rice/Egyptian clover were found to be superior to rice/nonlegumes relay cropping systems such as rice/wheat, rice/barley, rice/forage oats, rice/canola, rice/sunflower and
rice/forage maize in terms of sustainability, total rice grain yield equivalent (TRGYE) and net field benefits ha'
both at zero and conventional tillage. However, yield benefits on an average were 9.85 % higher with
conventional tillage than zero tillage. Among the relay cropping systems, the highest TRGYE of 7.48 and 9.27 t
ha' and net monetary gain of Rs.40620 and 45120 ha' was recorded for rice/fenugreek (methra) relay cropping
system both at zero and conventional tillage, respectively.
Key words: Rice-based relay cropping systems, strip plantation, zero tillage, conventional tillage, agro-economic
performance.
