Economics of intensive cropping in double crop wetlands

Abstract

A field trial was conducted at the Rice Research station, pattambi during 1969—70 and 1970 -71 in order to study the feasibility of raising more than 2 crops of rice in the double crop wet lands. Eight crop sequences were tried with Annapoorna (early duration) and IR 8 (medium duration) as test varieties. The study indicated clearly that 3 early duration rices could be raised in the double crop wet lands during the usual cropping span of 9 months from May through January. This cropping pattern, however, was not profitable at the levy price of Rs. 0.74 per kg of paddy. The study also showed that raising 2 medium duration rices in succession was the most profitable cropping pattern for the double crop wet lands under the existing soil and climatic conditions of pattambi which represent the middle laterite region of Kerala.