Abstract In this study, the energy budget of some multiple cropping systems of the Central Himalaya was studied. The energy input was greater for the crops grown in irrigated fields than for the same crops grown in rainfed fields. The agronomic yield in irrigated fields was also greater than for the same crop in rainfed fields. Owing to disproportional increased input and agronomic yield, the output:input ratios for wheat and rice were greater in rainfed than in irrigated conditions. The output:input ratios were far greater for associated crops than for the main crops (rice, wheat and finger millet). Among different cropping patterns, the total energy input in irrigated fields was about five times greater than the same cropping pattern in rainfed fields. Chemical fertilizer was not applied in the finger millet+soya bean and rice+soya bean patterns of rainfed fields. Among the different patterns, rice+soya bean (I) was the most productive, but wheat+mustard (R) was the most efficient with an output:input ratio of 4.4 for agronomic yield and 11.0 for total energy output. Multiple cropping patterns are more efficient in rainfed than in irrigated conditions.
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