26 Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 92 (1): 26–30, January 2022/Article Productivity and energetics of rice (Oryza sativa) based cropping systems in Indo-Gangetic plains TEJ RAM BANJARA 1 , J S BOHRA 2 , DEO NARAYAN SINGH 3 * and TEJBAL SINGH 2 Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221 005, India Received: 13 January 2020; Accepted: 17 August 2021 ABSTRACT A feld experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh during 2016–17 and 2017–18 to study the productivity and energetics of rice (Oryza sativa L.)-based cropping systems under irrigated condition. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design with three replications. The treatment comprised ten rice-based cropping sequences. Results revealed that rice-potato-green gram recorded signifcantly high system rice equivalent yield over rest of the cropping sequences during both the years of study. Energy input was recorded highest in rice-potato-green gram followed by rice-potato-cowpea fodder, rice-mustard-sudan grass fodder, rice-wheat-cowpea fodder and lowest in rice-berseem-cowpea fodder sequence. Rice-mustard-sudan grass fodder sequence recorded signifcantly high energy output, net energy, energy output- input ratio and energy intensity as compared to rest of the cropping sequences during both the years of investigation, whereas energy productivity was high in rice-cabbage-cowpea fodder sequence compared to other sequences during both the years of experimentation. However, specifc energy was higher in rice-wheat-green gram sequence than rest of the cropping sequences except rice-wheat sequence during second year of investigation where it remained at par with rice-wheat-green gram sequence. Keywords: Energy Intensity, Energy Productivity, Rice, Specifc Energy Present address: 1 Govt. H.S. School Sarva, Balodabazar, Bhatapara, Chhattisgarh; 2 Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh; 3 Udai Pratap College, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. *Corresponding author e-mail: sdeonarayan@gmail.com. Rice (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the predominant cropping system in India It is considered as backbone of food security in South-east Asia (Baghel et al. 2018). In the era of shrinking resource base of land, water and energy, resource-use efciency is an important aspect for considering the suitability of a cropping system (Yadav 2002, Ray et al. 2020). In the high productivity zone of the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), continued practice of the rice–wheat system for over four decades has posed a serious threat to agricultural sustainability (Bhatt et al. 2016, Singh et al. 2019). Under existing agro-climatic situation of Varanasi region particularly in low land condition, complete replacement of rice by any other crop is practically not feasible. However, there is possibility of diversifying rice-wheat system by growing oilseeds, grain legumes as well as some short duration vegetable and fodder crops particularly under integrated farming system. Energy is the basic need of human life and main stay of economy. However, the energy use in crop production had not been given adequate importance in earlier years, but more emphasis must be laid on renewable and non- commercial sources of energy, that are actively involved in crop production processes using intensive energies directly or indirectly. Crop production is often considered as an energy conversion industry. Through photosynthesis plants convert solar and chemical energy derived from the soil into storable chemical energy as carbohydrates, fats, proteins as well as all cellulose. Excessive use of energy results in high unit cost of production, loss of income and market competitiveness (Kachroo et al. 2012). Therefore, crop diversifcation needs to be designed in such a way that apart from higher productivity and proftability it must be an efcient converter of energy. Hence, in the present investigation ten diferent rice-based cropping sequences were evaluated to fnd the options for higher productivity and energy efcient rice based cropping sequence under irrigated condition of eastern Uttar Pradesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS A feld study was carried out at the Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi during 2016–17 and 2017–18, as a part of ongoing experiment under Varanasi centre of AICRP on Integrated Farming System initiated during 2016–17. The soil of the experimental feld was alluvial deep, slightly alkaline (pH 7.95), moderately fertile