"The recent stagnation of productivity growth in the irrigated areas of the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia has led to a quest for resource-conserving technologies that can save water, reduce production costs and improve production. The present synthesis of two detailed country studies...

This study documents the adoption and impacts of zero-tillage (ZT) wheat in the rice-wheat systems of India’s Haryana State primarily drawing on a detailed empirical survey of 400 rice-wheat farmers. Our random stratified sample revealed 34.5% to be ZT wheat adopters and a quarter of the wheat...

Average physical inputs in maize cultivation in three districts of Haryana (North India) have been transformed into energy units and compared with the energy outputs of grain and byproducts. The chief inputs were in the form of farm yard manure (FYM), traditional farm equipment, tractor and...

Average physical and monetary data on sugarcane crops, planted or ratooned, from 128 farms covering 122 ha in North India were transformed into energy equivalents and assessed for energy balance. Farm manure and irrigation consumed major shares. Energy inputs and yields were greatly reduced but...

Methods are described to assess the total energy inputs for the irrigation of different crops. Energy yields as main products such as grain and as total biomass have been worked out. This methodology is illustrated with data from a sample farm growing wheat, paddy, berseem, sorghum fodder, and...