Techno‐economic feasibility of year‐round use of drip irrigation in a rice‐ based cropping system*

Abstract

AbstractThe water use, yield and profitability in three cropping sequences (rice–capsicum–baby corn, rice–rice–baby corn and rice–rice) grown under a drip irrigation (DRI) layout were compared with that in a rice–rice system under surface irrigation (SI) in a rice‐dominated region of eastern India. The DRI could save 37% of irrigation water without affecting the yield in rice compared with SI. The DRI in the rice–capsicum–baby corn cropping system produced 4.63 times higher yield (rice equivalent yield, 48.2 t ha‾¹) using 59% less water (7570 m3 ha‾¹), resulting in 11 times higher water productivity (8.72 kg rice m‾3 water), 7.63 times higher annual net income (NI) (435 000 INR ha‾¹) and 18 times higher economic water productivity (EWP) (INR 78.7 m‾3 water) with a benefit–cost ratio (BCR) of 2.87 compared with the rice–rice cropping system under SI. Use of DRI in a multi‐cropping sequence is recommended for higher water productivity and net profit in rice‐based cropping systems in irrigated commands.