Rice–Wheat Cropping Cycle in Punjab: A Comparative Analysis of Sustainability Status in Different Irrigation Systems

Rice–Wheat Cropping Cycle in Punjab: A Comparative Analysis of Sustainability Status in Different Irrigation Systems

1573-2975

eng

English

ART 693

oai:wfp.tind.io:131521

There is a general contention among scholars that first, wheat–paddy cropping pattern is largely responsible for declining ground water table in Punjab and secondly, that the wheat–paddy cropping system is becoming unsustainable over time as the yield levels of these two major crops are stagnating. However, the existing evidences do not throw adequate insight into the stage of groundwater depletion during which the wheat–paddy cycle becomes unsustainable. The paper strengthens the existing empirical base of sustainability status of this cropping cycle in Punjab. A comparison of irrigation systems in terms of both trends in yield and stability for wheat and paddy has been attempted to arrive at a holistic appraisal of sustainability aspects of crop specialization in Punjab. It is observed that the canal dependent irrigation system has performed better as compared to the overexploited groundwater irrigation system in terms of most of the parameters used in the study.

Environment, Development and Sustainability, Vol.11, P. 751-763, 2009