Assessing sustainability improvements in rice-based cropping systems through intensification and diversification

Abstract Rice-based cropping systems remain dominant in Bangladesh’s agricultural landscape, yet their long-term sustainability and profitability are increasingly constrained by high input requirements, ecological pressures, and evolving food consumption patterns. This study investigates the agronomic and economic performance of four rice-based farming sequences in the Karatoa–Bangali Floodplain, comparing the conventional T. Aman–Fallow–Boro (R–F–R) rotation with three diversified alternatives: Mustard–Mungbean–T. Aus–T. Aman (M–M–R–R), Potato–Maize–Dhaincha–T. Aman (P–M–D–R), and Potato–Sweet gourd–Jute–T. Aman (P–S–J–R). Field experiments conducted during 2021–2022 evaluated system productivity, profitability, land use efficiency (LUE), and sustainability indicators such as marginal benefit–cost ratio (MBCR), sustainable yield index (SYI), and rice equivalent yield (REY). The results showed that the gross return, benefit–cost ratios (BCR), LUE, and production efficiency (PE) of all intensified cropping systems significantly outperformed the baseline pattern (R–F–R). Among them, P–S–J–R sequence demonstrated the highest REY (31.81 t/ha), SYI (98.97%), and MBCR (2.75), highlighting its strong agronomic and economic potential. The integration of short-duration rice cultivars and high-value non-rice crops facilitated more efficient land utilization—up to 94%—and enabled continuous year-round cultivation. These findings underscore the value of strategic crop diversification and intensification, particularly through the use of short-duration varieties and relay cropping, in enhancing system resilience, resource optimization, and farm-level income in rice-centric regions. Scaling up such cropping systems, with support from policy and research initiatives, could foster more sustainable and climate-adaptive agricultural systems across the Indo-Gangetic Plains.