Agronomic practices, input use efficiency, and sustainability in Punjab’s intensive cropping systems

Abstract

In Punjab, the core of India's Green Revolution, agronomic practices manage high-output wheat-rice cycles across fragmented holdings under assured irrigation. Detailed assessments of 120 farmers from ten villages illuminated robust high yield variety uptake (e.g., PBW 826 wheat at 90%, Basmati 1121 rice at 85%), urea-centric nutrition (120-150 kg N/ha), herbicide-dominated weed suppression (clodinafop 80%), and tube-well dependency (85%). Graphical depictions underscore adoption disparities and efficiencies, revealing seed treatment lapses (35% self-applied), NPK skews (K at 45%), and IPM underutilization (cultural methods 40%). Amid groundwater crises and soil fatigue, imperatives emerge for precision agronomy: bio-fortified inputs, diversified rotations, and alternate wetting-drying irrigation. This synthesis advocates evidence-based extensions to perpetuate Punjab's granary stature sustainably.