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Food and energy security are important issues that threaten human survival and development. The rice–wheat rotation system provides a stable source of food for more than 20% of the world's population, but there have been no reports on the energy balance of different rice–wheat rotation systems. This study evaluates the energy inputs and outputs of three rice–wheat rotation systems and their energy production efficiency through the study of dry direct‐seeded, wet direct‐seeded, and transplanted rice–wheat rotation systems. The results of the study showed that the average total energy inputs in the dry direct‐seeded, wet direct‐seeded, and transplanted rice–wheat rotation systems were 58,677, 74,083, and 69,022 MJ ha−1, respectively. The production resources with more energy input in rice–wheat rotation system were all related to water and fertilizer. The energy input in the rice season accounts for more than 50.69% of the total energy input in the rice–wheat rotation system. At the same time, rice–wheat rotation production is highly dependent on nonrenewable energy. Among the three rice–wheat rotation systems, the transplanted rice–wheat rotation system had the highest total energy output and net energy, while the dry direct‐seeded rice–wheat rotation had the highest energy use efficiency, energy productivity, energy profitability, and human energy profitability. The results showed that the key to reducing the energy input in the rice–wheat rotation system is to reduce the amount of water and fertilizer. The transplanted rice–wheat rotation system is more suitable for promotion in rice–wheat rotation production areas with good irrigation conditions, while the dry direct‐seeded rice–wheat rotation system is highly compatible with the current development direction of low energy consumption and high energy efficiency in agricultural production and is suitable for promotion in rice–wheat production areas with poor irrigation conditions.

A profound consideration of soil organic carbon (SOC) and SOC pools as affected by the long-term use of fertilizer in a fixed crop sequence is essential to understand and maintain the health and pr...

In India, especially in the state of Haryana in the northwestern parts, groundwater is the key source of water supply for domestic, industrial and agricultural uses. In recent years, the dependence on groundwater has increased drastically over the state due to speedy expansion of area under rice–wheat cultivation and therefore the states’ aquifers have started experiencing over-exploitation. The aim of this study was to compute the magnitudes of groundwater level trends and abrupt change point detections spatially and temporally based on secondary data obtained from the Groundwater Cell, Department of Agriculture, Government of Haryana with respect to 118 community development blocks for pre- and post-monsoon seasons during 1990–2013. Three statistical models, namely Mann–Kendall test, Sen’s slope estimator and simple linear regression, were applied to understand the trend and rate of change in groundwater level, whereas the abrupt change point detection analysis was carried out using Pettitt’s test, standard normal homogeneity test, Buishand’s range test and von Neumann ratio test. The results indicate that the average depth to groundwater level during pre-monsoon season in the state has ranged from 3.42 to 43.90 m below ground level (mbgl), whereas the average depth to groundwater level during post-monsoon season has ranged from 2.48 to 43.68 mbgl. The mean of groundwater level fluctuations during pre- and post-monsoon seasons was found to be − 6.0 and − 6.7 mbgl, respectively. The study highlights that the negative (falling) trends are much more pronounced (significant at 0.01% probability level) than positive (rising) ones, which corroborate the unsustainable groundwater development in the state. The abrupt change point detection analysis of groundwater levels indicates toward different change points, with maximum change points between the years 2000–2006 during pre- and post-monsoon seasons. This can be attributed to the advanced transplanting of rice crop by farmers much before the start of rainy season. In addition, both anthropogenic and climatic factors have led to groundwater depletion in the study area. These findings may be helpful for the planners and policy makers toward judicious utilization of groundwater resources in the state.

Preliminary findings of a joint ICAR-IFPRI survey covering more than 2,000 farmers from 40 districts of Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Odisha show that the adoption of improved varieties of rice and wheat seeds is slow in the region. The average age of wheat varieties grown in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh is 25-30 years. A 2016 study of varietal adoption of wheat by CIMMYT and the Michigan State University (MSU) in Bihar also reports similar findings (Ray and Maredia, 2016). The average age of non-hybrid rice varieties grown in the region is around the same. The situation is even worse for pulses where landraces of unknown origins dominate the cropped area. More than 90% of pulse growers in our sample in Bihar and Odisha could not recall the names of the seed varieties they had sown. The two state governments are implementing programs with subsidies, extension and participatory seed production programs to popularize rice and wheat varieties that are less than 10 years old and pulse varieties that are less than 15 years old. The IFPRI-ICAR survey shows that these programs have had limited impact. Rice and wheat together cover more than two-thirds of the gross cropped area (GCA) in Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh and rice alone accounts for 46% of GCA in Odisha. Why is the adoption of improved seeds so slow for the main crops in these states?

Laser land leveling has been increasingly adopted in the irrigated rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system in the state of Haryana (India), located in the north-...

Winter-flooded paddy is a typical rice-based cropping system to conserve water for the next rice growing season. Conversion of winter-flooded paddy to rice-wheat rotation has been widely adopted with the development of the water conservation infrastructure and the government's encouragement of winter agriculture in China in recent decades. However, the effects of this conversion on N2O emission are still not clear. Three winter-flooded paddy fields were studied in a split-plot design. One-half of each field was converted to rice-wheat rotation (RW), and the other half remained winter-flooded as rice-fallow (RF). Each plot of RW and RF was further divided into four subplots: three subplots for conventional N fertilizer application (RW-NC and RF-NC) and one for unfertilized treatment (RW-N0 and RF-N0). Conversion of RF-NC to RW-NC increased the N2O emission up to 6.6-fold in the first year and 4.4-fold in the second year. Moreover, N2O emissions for the entire wheat season were 1.74–3.74 kg N ha−1 and 0.24–0.31 kg N ha−1 from RW-NC and RW-N0, respectively, and accounted for 78%–94% and 78%–97% of the total annual amount. N2O emitted during the first 11–21 days of the wheat season from RW-NC was 1.48–3.28 kg N ha−1 and that from RW-N0 was 0.14–0.17 kg N ha−1, which contributed to 66%–82% and 45%–71% of the total annual amount, respectively. High N2O fluxes occurred when the soil water-filled pore space (WFPS) was in the range of 68%–72% and the ratio of available carbon to nitrogen in the soil was

Groundwater irrigation is the most predominant method used across India and about 50% of the total irrigated area is dependent on it. The state of Haryana has witnessed a spectacular increase in agricultural production in the last few decades, and is largely dependent on groundwater for irrigation. Groundwater mining for irrigation has become a reality in the state over the years as the number of tube wells has increased from 0.02 million in 1966 to 0.73 million in 2012, showing alarming signs of over-exploitation. The impact of increased groundwater irrigation on groundwater levels has not been studied both spatially and temporally. Therefore, this study has been undertaken to investigate the groundwater level fluctuations in the state using geographical information system (GIS) from the groundwater level data of 893 observation wells obtained from Groundwater Cell, Department of Agriculture, Government of Haryana, Panchkula, for the period 2004-12. Many researchers have applied GIS to reveal the spatial and temporal structure of groundwater level fluctuation and as a management and decision tool. The analysis of results indicated a mix of negative and positive trends in the groundwater levels. However, the negative trends were much more pronounced than positive ones. Groundwater level in the state ranged between 0.16 to 65.97 m from the ground surface and per cent area with groundwater level depth more than 10 meter (critical category) was about 56% in 2004 and has increased to 64% by 2012. The average annual decline in groundwater level was observed to be above 32 cm/year, with the strongest decline (108.9 cm/year) in Kurukshetra district.

Ground-based ambient air monitoring was conducted to assess the contribution of crop residue burning of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and rice (Oriza sativa) at different locations in three districts (Kaithal, Kurukshetra, and Karnal) of the agricultural state of Haryana in India for two successive years (2016 and 2017). The Air Quality Index (AQI) and concentration of primary pollutants (SOx, NOx, and PM2.5) were determined in rice and wheat crop season, for burning and non-burning periods. During crop residue burning periods, concentrations of SOx, NOx, and PM2.5 were exceeded the NAAQS values by 78%, 71%, and 53%, respectively. A significant increase in SOx (4.5 times), NOx (3.8 times), and PM2.5 concentration (3.5 times) was observed in stubble burning periods as compared to pre-burning (p < 0.05). A positive and significant correlation among the three pollutant concentrations was observed (p < 0.01). The AQI of KA site in Karnal district fell in severely polluted category during 2016 for rice as well as wheat residue burning period, and of KK site in Kaithal during wheat residue burning in year 2017. Results of present study indicate a remarkable increase in pollutant concentration (SOx, NOx, and PM2.5) during the crop residue burning periods. To the best of our knowledge, the outcomes of present study in this region have not been reported in earlier reports. Hence, there is an urgent need to curb air pollution by adopting sustainable harvesting technologies and management of residues.

Excessive use of mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizer has been a common practice in the high-yielding rice–wheat double-cropping system in the Taihu Region of southeastern China. As a consequence of high N balance surpluses and low N use efficiencies (NUEs), nitrogen losses to water bodies and to the atmosphere are high. Field experiments on five replicate farmers’ field sites were conducted in southern Jiangsu Province over three consecutive rice–wheat double-crop rotations with three different N fertilization treatments (‘conventional’ (farmers’ practice), ‘reduced’ (by 23% for rice and 32% for wheat) and zero N application). A parallel survey was carried out involving 43 farmers’ households, in order to calculate standard gross margins (SGM) and to conduct an environmental assessment of the rice–wheat farming system in the Taihu Region. The results of the field experiment showed that a distinct reduction in fertilizer N application rates to summer rice and winter wheat crops is possible without significant decrease in mean grain yields. Mean grain yields for the entire double-crop rotation were 14.7 Mg ha −1 yr −1 under the conventional N fertilization practice and 14.1 Mg ha −1 yr −1 under reduced N fertilization. A significant increase in NUEs could be achieved in most years and crops under reduced N fertilization compared to farmers’ practice, and N balance surpluses were significantly decreased from 142 kg N ha −1 to less than 60 kg N ha −1 yr −1 under the reduced N fertilization regime. The residual mineral N contents in the soil profiles after winter wheat harvest showed a decreasing tendency over time with a reduction of N fertilization. Mineral N contents in fertilized fields were significantly higher than on the zero N plots. Concentrations of NH 4 + -N in soil extracts from the puddled layer during the summer rice in 2010 showed significant differences between the two N fertilization treatments and the zero N plots. Results of the agro-economic survey showed that production of rice was 50% more profitable than that of wheat, and that fertilizer costs made up less than 20% in the rice season, but almost 50% of the total production costs during the wheat season. It can be concluded that N losses to the environment can be efficiently decreased by reducing the overall N fertilization rates without any risk of decline in grain yield and related income for farmers. Based on the field experiments and investigations, a reduction in N fertilizer application rates by 15–25% for summer rice and by 20–25% for winter wheat, compared to present levels is recommended.

A decline in land and water productivity, increase in the cost of cultivation, and labor-intensive practices are affecting the cereal-based farming system in Nepal, particularly in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). Conservation agriculture (CA) practices have been found to be the climate-, energy-, and labor-smart and sustainable agricultural production technologies. Sustainable and Resilient Farming System Intensification (SRFSI) has been working since 2014 in response to the sustainability of the cereal-based (rice–wheat and rice–maize) farming in Sunsari and Dhanusha districts of Nepal. This study was conducted to assess the adoption and scaling up of CA in addition to input usage, production, net profit, benefit to cost (B:C) ratio, and labor use of CA practice on average scale land holdings in Sunsari district. The study employed structured questionnaires and key informant surveys as the main data collection tools and project reports were used as secondary data. Results revealed that farmers had several tangible advantages: lower labor utilization per area (71 people day−1 ha−1 as compared to 106 for conventional), lower input cost (NRs. 78,395 ha−1 as compared to 102,727 ha−1), less irrigation with regards to ponding time (50%) as compared to conventional practice, and higher crop productivity (8.11 t ha−1 as compared to 8.08 t ha−1 in rice–wheat and 13.1 t ha−1 as compared to 11.75 t ha−1 in conventional rice–maize) farming system through the adoption of CA practices. This study assessed the potential of CA-based practices in a cereal-based cropping system to improve the yields and net profit for sustainability.

With recent developments in phenotyping and genetics tools, biofortification programs around the world have significantly contributed to reducing malnourishment, particularly of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), in populations that depend upon on cereals as staple foods. As a polygenic trait, several quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for grain Zn or Fe levels have been mapped in the wild relatives of important crops, and these show a common genetic basis with some orthologous chromosomes in both rice and wheat, and with a few positively transgressed. Rice and wheat cultivars with target levels of grain Fe and Zn have been developed and released commercially. However, integration of agronomic biofortification with transgenic approaches and mapping for variation in density of Fe and Zn within endosperm for enhanced bioavailability and stability of traits in different environments are still in progress. Moreover, strategic advocacy for the awareness, demand, and acceptability of studies for scaling up the delivery of biofortified varieties is required to achieve additional health benefits globally.

Nitrogen fertilization is one of the important agricultural practices for increasing crops production in modern farming. Excessive nitrogen fertilization without scientific guidance can also cause serious environmental problems. Therefore, the improvement of nitrogen management is critical for further sustainable agricultural development. In most areas of China and South Asia, the rice-wheat system is widely spread due to high precipitation. Since there are various lengths of rice flooding stages, nitrogen management is different compared with upland cultivation systems.

In order to effectively eliminate the disadvantages of improper disposing of residues and fully exploit the advantages of no-tillage seed drill technology, a machine for rice-wheat cyclic planting was developed by designing and attaching drilling and ditching assembly to a combine harvesting assembly. Tests carried out on drilling practice showed that, multi-functional machine for rice-wheat rotation, rubber track was adopted to substitute the traditional land wheel for drilling driving, cannot only effectively get rid of the intermittent drilling, but also can easily achieve the speed synchronization of harvesting and sowing practice; within the limitation of designed walking velocity, mean values of the row consistency and stability of seeding quantity as well as seeding uniformity were 93.9±1.4%, 98.4±0.5% and 76.2±5.3% respectively, which could meet the performance requirement of rice direct seeding with soil cover; for a suitable broken rate, the working length of the fluted roller is preferred to be not less than 9.4mm if NJ210-80 roller feed was chosen to drill rice, the transmission ratio can be increased to reduce the rotary speed of the fluted roller to acquire a suitable seeding quantity, if the value exceeds the agronomic requirement of the local seeding date.

To solve the problem of irrational assignment on the transmission ratio, redesigned the transmission scheme and optimized the parameters of the rice-wheat cyclic planting machine’s ditcher chain transmission device. Results showed that transmission ratio of the improved system was assigned rationally, all the sprockets not only met the strength requirement, but also had moderate sizes and were easy to be assembled or disassembled, at least 41.57% of the material was saved, not less than 50% of the production cost was reduced; noise level of the optimized chain transmission system was lowered obviously than the original’s at the same rotary speeds all the time, the maximum difference reached 16.8 dB when the driving sprockets rotary speeds of the first-stage chain are 1200 rpm; safety of loading, accessibility to field and flexibility of transfer in field of the machine were improved significantly, such an optimized chain transmission system for ditching was reliable.

Haryana has emerged as an important state for Rice & Wheat production in India contributing significantly in the central pool. Mechanized combine harvesting technologies, which have become common in Rice Wheat System (RWS) in India, leave behind large quantities of straw in the field for open burning of residue. Besides causing pollution, the burning kills the useful micro flora of the soil causing soil degradation. There is no field survey (Girdawari) data available with the Government for the areas where stubble burning is taking place. The present paper describes the methodology and results of wheat and rice residue burning areas for three districts of Haryana namely Kaithal, Kurukshetra and Karnal for the year 2010 using complete enumeration approach of multi-date IRS-P6 AWiFS and LISS-III data. In season ground truth was collected using hand held GPS and used to identify area of burnt wheat/rice residues, associated crops and land features. After geo-referencing the satellite images, district images were masked-out and multi-date image data stacks were created. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of each date was generated and used at the time of classification along with other spectral bands. The non-agricultural classes in the image included: forest, wasteland, water bodies, urban/settlement and permanent vegetation etc. The vector of these non-agriculture classes were extracted from the land use, imported and mask was generated. During the classification non-agriculture area was excluded by using mask of these classes. From this the agricultural area could be separated out. The area was estimated by computing pixels under the classified image mask. In season multi-date AWiFS data along with available single-date LISS-III data between third week of April to last week of May are found to be useful for estimation of wheat residue burning areas estimation. The data between second week of October to last week of November is useful for estimation of rice residue burning areas estimation at district level.

This article reports on an ex-ante impact study in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia. The study, guided by a livelihoods approach, developed a spatial-mapping methodology based on secondary data for 18 variables which served as indicators of the five livelihood classes of assets (natural, physical, financial, social, and human). The overall livelihood-asset index showed a significant and strong negative correlation (R = –0.65, P = 0.00) with the national poverty line, with poverty peaking in districts where the assets base was lowest, and vice versa. The livelihood-assets approach has broader application, for example for ex-post impact assessment.

The recent slow down in productivity growth in the irrigated areas of the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia has led to a quest for resource-conserving technologies that can reduce production costs, save water and improve production. Findings from farm surveys are used to evaluate the on-farm impacts of zero tillage (ZT) wheat in the rice–wheat systems of India's Haryana state and Pakistan's Punjab province. ZT-induced effects primarily apply to the establishment and production costs of the wheat crop. Both study sites confirmed significant ZT-induced resource-saving effects in farmers’ fields in terms of diesel, tractor time and cost savings for wheat cultivation. Water savings are, however, less pronounced than expected from on-farm trial data. It was only in Haryana, India that there were significant ZT-induced water savings in addition to significant yield enhancement. The higher yield and water savings in Haryana, India result in significantly higher water productivity indicators for ZT wheat. In both sites, there are limited implications for the overall wheat crop management, the subsequent rice crop and the rice–wheat system as a whole. The combination of a significant “yield effect” and “cost-saving effect” makes adoption worthwhile and provide a much needed boost to the returns to wheat cultivation in Haryana, India. In Punjab, Pakistan, ZT is primarily a cost-saving technology for wheat cultivation. The prime driver for ZT adoption is not water savings or natural resource conservation but monetary gain in both sites. Water savings are only a potential added benefit.

A field experiment and farm survey were conducted to test nitrogen (N) inputs, 15N-labelled fertilizer balance and mineral N dynamics of a rice–wheat rotation in southwest China. Total N input in one rice–wheat cycle averaged about 448 kg N ha−1, of which inorganic fertilizer accounted for 63% of the total. The effects of good N management strategies on N cycling were clear: an optimized N treatment with a 27% reduction in total N fertilizer input over the rotation decreased apparent N loss by 52% and increased production (sum of grain yield of rice and wheat) compared with farmers’ traditional practice. In the 15N-labelled fertilizer experiment, an optimized N treatment led to significantly lower 15N losses than farmers’ traditional practice; N loss mainly occurred in the rice growing season, which accounted for 82% and 67% of the total loss from the rotation in farmers’ fields and the optimized N treatment, respectively. After the wheat harvest, accumulated soil mineral N ranged from 42 to 115 kg ha−1 in farmers’ fields, of which the extractable soil NO3 −–N accounted for 63%. However, flooding soil for rice production significantly reduced accumulated mineral N after the wheat harvest: in the 15N experiment, farmers’ practice led to considerable accumulation of mineral N after the wheat harvest (125 kg ha−1), of which 69% was subsequently lost after 13 days of flooding. Results from this study indicate the importance of N management in the wheat-growing season, which affects N dynamics and N losses significantly in the following rice season. Integrated N management should be adopted for rice–wheat rotations in order to achieve a better N recovery efficiency and lower N loss.

The rice-wheat (R-W) farming system supplies 45 % of the digestible energy and 30 % of the total protein requirements of the world. This system is popular in the Indo-Gangetic plain and is being extended to different parts of the world to address increasing food demands. This system also holds enormous potential for intensification and diversification of croplands in tropical and subtropical regions. Although there was a substantial increment in rice and wheat production in the world after the Green Revolution, the yield of these crops has been stagnant in recent years. Major reasons for this are declining soil organic matter, increasing production costs, erratic weather patterns, and poor access to quality seeds of the varieties preferred by farmers in rural areas.

Bangladesh is widely perceived, both domestically and externally, as an agricultural country. Almost by any measure, other than the “principal occupation of the labor force”, this has long ceased to be true. By now just over a sixth of GDP originates in agricultural activities (Table 2.2) and well below a quarter of incomes of the households is derived from farming (Table 5.1).1

Punjab agriculture supported by input and output price structure and superior yields of rice and wheat compared to other crops has virtually become a rice-wheat monoculture. The rice-wheat cycle has led to over exploitation of ground water resources in the state. Use of combined harvester has further exacerbated the problem of crop residue management as it leaves behind a large amount of rice residue to be burnt in the open fields. This study brings the problem of agriculture waste burning in the forefront. It tries to enumerate the amount of pollution being caused by rice residue burning and its adverse impact on human health.

Rice-wheat cropping systems occupy about 21 million ha in Asia and are the most important in terms of self-sufficiency in food on that continent. A three-year field study at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute showed that rice-wheat cropping systems produced 8.6t ha−1y−1 of grain as compared to 4.9 to 5.4 for rice-lentil, rice-rapeseed and rice-chickpea cropping systems. Despite higher prices for the grains of lentil, chickpea and rapeseed, rice-wheat cropping systems were more profitable and therefore preferred by the farmers. However, removal of primary plant nutrients (NPK) by rice-wheat cropping system was 502 kg ha−1y−1 (209 kg N,45 kg P and 248 kg K) as compared to 236–352 kg ha−1y−1 (112–183 kg N, 20 kg P and 131–145 kg K) by the other 3 rice-based cropping systems studied. Therefore, continuous NPK fertilization is essential for sustained productivity.

Nine Tibetan weedrace, 9 Xingjiang rice wheat and 14 Yunnan hulled wheat accessions were evaluated for the variability of HMW-glutenins and gliadins. Higher variability was observed for both HMW-glutenins and gliadins in Tibetan weedrace and Xingjiang rice wheat, while lower variability was observed in Yunan hulled wheat. There were 4 HMW-glutenin and 9 gliadin patterns in 9 Tibetan weedrace accessions, 5 HMW-glutenin and 8 gliadin patterns in 9 Xingjiang rice wheat accessions, and 3 HMW-glutenin and 8 gliadin patterns in 14 Yunnan hulled wheat accessions. In Xinjiang rice wheat, one accession (i.e. Daomai 2) carried subunits 2.1 + 10.1 encoded by Glu-D1, which is very rare in common wheat.

Recent studies indicate that Rice-Wheat System in the Indo-Gangetic Plains is now facing a number of stresses resulting in slowdown in productivity growth. It is now important to study and empirically verify through in depth analysis the observed trend, yield growth, instability, total factor productivity and sustainability of yield. In this context, the present study has been carried out with following specific objectives; (a) to estimate total factor productivity in rice and wheat to calculate sustainability (b) to study the yield trend and instability in rice and wheat in IGP region. Major changes in yield was observed in UP and Punjab. Bihar had no significant changes during the period under reference. There is a scope to increase in all districts of Bihar.

Rice-wheat rotation is one of the principal planting patters of rice and wheat in China. Research on mechanical production model and economic benefit of rice-wheat rotation can further optimize the production model. The paper defined rice-wheat rotation region of China and divided the region into three parts including developed area in the east coastal, major grain producing area in midland, less-developed area in southwest. Study out 10 typical mechanization production models in rice- wheat rotation region by analyzing the present situation. Then compare the models at the cost, output value and proceeds. Analyze the trend of different areas on the principle of efficiency, economy and equipment practicable.

Young men consumed a dietthatprovided6.0g ofnitrogen,ofwhich rice, wheat, and milk supplied 33, 38, and 29%, respectively, for 28 days following adjustment. This dietcontainedamounts ofessential amino acidsthatwere atleast twice the minimal required amounts reportedformen. Mean nitrogen balances in four successive 7-day periods were 0.27 ± 0.13, 0.25 ± 0.08, 0.10 ± 0.07 and 0.24 ± 0.12g;and themean for28 days was 0.22 ± 0.05 g. Nitrogen retention did not differ significantly between periods. All men who weighed between 65 and 72 kg retained small amounts of nitrogen but one who weighed 78 kg was in slightly negative balance. The mean balances as reported do not provide an allowance for integumental and other losses. The daily protein intake from these sources, equivalent to 0.5 g/ kg of body weight, was a critical level slightly lower than the amount appropriate for long-term maintenanceofyoung men weighing70 kg. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 31: 585-591, 1978.

The study was conducted at three villages under Birganj upazilla of Dinajpur district to select suitable mungbean genotype to fit in the rice-wheat-fallow cropping system. Nine advanced mungbean genotypes and a check variety were tested in the farmers' fields through mother and baby trials managed by the farmers themselves. The mother trials were laid down in a radomized completely block design with three replications. Based on farmers' judgment regarding field performances and post-harvest evaluation on growth, field duration, seed yield, taste, cooking and milling quality, VC3960-88 appeared as the most preferred genotype. Farmers also preferred VC6153B-20P next to the above genotype. The baby trials conducted in thirty farmers' field reaffirmed that VC3960-88 was also the most preferred genotype. The performance of genotypes in baby trials and subsequent preference of the farmers signified the role of mother-baby trial approach towards selecting mungbean genotype by themselves. Key words: Variety, mungbean, selection, cropping system, PR & D approach. DOI: 10.3329/jard.v7i1.4419 J Agric Rural Dev 7(1&2), 33-40, June 2009