Relative Profitability of Pulse Crop Rotations among Major Field Crops in Rajasthan

Abstract

The study was conducted in Nagaur district of Rajasthan to analyze the profitability of pulse crop rotations with major field crops like wheat, barley, mustard and Taramira (Eruica sativa). A sample of 60 farmers for moth bean was selected. The variable cost of cultivation (Cost A1) of different pulse crop rotations was worked out. Cost “A1” was worked out on the basis of opportunity cost principle for owned inputs and actual prices paid by the farmers for purchased inputs. On an average, the total variable cost per hectare of moth bean cultivation was 17781.81. The net returns obtained per hectare were 8090.19. Cost and returns analysis of different crop rotations revealed that the total variable cost per hectare in wheat-moth bean rotation was ( 41485.98) followed by barley-moth bean rotation ( 39100.17). The variable cost in mustard-moth bean rotation was 36389.23 and in Taramira (Eruica sativa)—moth bean rotation, it was 35203.94. Returns over variable cost were worked out to see the profitability of different pulse crop rotations. The wheat-moth bean rotation yielded the maximum net returns per hectare ( 36886.02) followed by mustard-moth bean rotation ( 26832.77). The returns in barley-moth bean rotation was 21771.83 and in taramira (Eruica sativa)-moth bean rotation, it was 18558.06. The major cost items in all these rotations were human labour and machine labour. The input use in most of the rotations was found to be very low. To increase production and income from these rotations, the efficient use of the inputs needs to be ensured.