Towards Sustainable Intensification of Sesame-based Cropping Systems Diversification in Northwestern India

Abstract

Despite being largely self-sufficient in food production, Indian agriculture currently faces a slew of problems- productivity is in decline; income gap between farmers and the rest of the workforce is widening and the incessant conversion of agricultural lands into urban landscapes is threatening agricultural intensification. This rapid urbanization coupled with unpredictable climate changes, will put added pressures on land and food. Sesame (SesamumindicumL.) is one of the most versatile and survivor crops that can be grown in semi-arid and arid regions. It has unique attributes that can fit almost any cropping system being a short duration crop with a potential to sustainable intensify crop production through crop diversification.This evidently indicates the potentiality for improvement in yield. We investigated the productivity of sesame sown as sole crop, intercrop and as a sequence crop to enhance its cropping system intensification with the following objectives (i) to identify different sesame-based cropping systems with high productivity and profitability to suit the specific needs of North Gujarat agro ecosystems (ii) the best sustainableland use efficiency as influenced by sesame-based cropping systems intensification. Our result showed that higher system productivity based on sesame equivalent yield (SEY), system profitabilityin terms of net realization to the growing year and land use efficiency was recorded in sesame + groundnut – castor (8.0 kg/ha/day;Rs. 298.3/ha/dayand 79.7%), sesame + greengram – castor systems (7.9 kg/ha/day;Rs. 297.0/ha/dayand 74%), sesame – castor (7.3 kg/ha/day;Rs. 274.7/ha/dayand 74%) and sesame + hybrid cotton (5.3kg/ha/day;Rs. 204.5/ha/dayand 86%) cropping systems respectively. We concluded that the intensification of sesame-based cropping system could help farmers adapt to the changing climate with greater resilience, net primary productivity and enhanced income through crop(s) diversification. One that emphasizes a climate-smart agriculture strategy for food security, mitigation and adaptation.