Simulating the Impact of Resource Conserving Technologies in Rice-Wheat System on Productivity, Income, and Environment.

Rice-wheat system is the main source of food and income for millions of people in south Asia. However due to increasing pressure of biotic and abiotic stresses in response to soil degradation and changing climate, crop productivity and farmers profit are on downward trends. Recent efforts have attempted to develop and deliver resource-conserving technologies (RCT) with efficient and environmental-friendly  tillage/crop establishment and water use  compared to the conventional farmer’s practices. However, no tool is available to quantitatively evaluate the RCTs particularly in terms of environmental impact. A simulation model, named InfoRCT (Information on Use of Resource Conserving Technologies), has been developed integrating biophysical, agronomic, and socioeconomic data to establish input-output relationships related to water, fertilizer, labor, and biocide uses; greenhouse (GHG) emissions; biocide residue in soil; and N fluxes in the rice-wheat system. The model provided a comparative assessment of RCTs in yield, income, global warming potential (GWP), biocide residue index, and N loss

The assessment showed that mid-season drying and no-till systems increased income, whereas raised-bed systems decreased it compared with the conventional system. Zero-tillage with direct seeding reduced GWP but had a risk of high biocide residue. The model has potential to provide assessments of various cultural practices under different scenarios of soil, climate, and crop management on a regional scale.