Evaluating Principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship in the Rice-Maize-Green Gram Cropping System for Improved Productivity and Profitability of Farmers in Odisha

Cropping intensity in Odisha is quite low in comparison to other states of India and most parts of the state do not grow any second crop. Rice has been a traditional crop in the state, grown under rainfed lowland conditions, covering over 53% of gross cropped area (8.4 m ha). With crop intensification having immense prospects to overcome uncertainties in single crop rice areas of Odisha, a study exploring the feasibility of accommodating succeeding crops like maize and green gram in sequence with rice was planned for ensuring sustainable crop productivity and soil fertility in the region. Also, developing principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship in the newly identified cropping system would not only provide strategies of nutrient management but also help sustain the productivity and profitability of farmers practising this cropping system. Thus a research project on "Evaluating principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship in Rice-Maize-Green gram cropping system for improved productivity and profitability of farmers in Odisha" was initiated in collaboration with the scientists of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar. This project aims at disseminating an optimized 4R nutrient management strategy to the small holder farmers of Odisha in addition to estimating nutrient budget in the newly identified cropping system.