Viable alternatives to cotton-wheat crop rotation for semi-arid climatic conditions

A study was conducted in the research area of Agronomy Department, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad during 2014-2015 to evaluate a sustainable and economical wheat-based rotation system under agro-climatic conditions of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Guar, maize, mash bean, mung bean, soybean, millet and some fodders (maize, millet and sorghum) were grown in Kharif season while wheat was the main crop in Rabi season. Wheat-fodder millet-grain maize gave the highest net benefits of Rs. 272062 ha-1 but exhausted the soil¬. The maximum value of BCR (2.25:1) was achieved in the same rotation that is, wheat-fodder millet-grain maize followed by wheat-fodder maize-mash bean with BCR of 1.86:1. Keeping in view the soil fertility plus economy, the wheat-fodder maize-mash bean cropping system is not only economical for small landholders but also improve soil fertility status as compare to others. Key words: Crop rotations, cropping patterns, economics, semi-arid and subtropical climate.