Abstract

                                The field experiment conducted at Rice Research Station, Tirur, Tiruvallur District of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University aimed to evaluate the performance of rice-based cropping sequences of cucurbits in the district. Five cropping sequences were evaluated for Rice - Rice - Ashgourd, Rice - Rice - Muskmelon, Rice - Rice - Cucumber, Rice - Rice - Pumpkin and Rice - Rice - Watermelon. The study focused on the post samba season (December - March), when water scarcity results in low yields for rice cultivation. Instead of leaving the land as fallow during this season, cucurbits were raised to increase income. The results indicated that watermelon, cucumber and muskmelon were suitable for cultivation during the post samba season, with good economic returns. Rice – Rice - Watermelon recorded the highest yield of 26.10 t/ha with a BCR of 2.66 followed by Rice – Rice - Muskmelon (yield; 25.05 t/ha and BCR: 2.30) and Rice – Rice - Cucumber also showed good results with a yield of 20.4 t/ha and BCR of 2.19. Overall, the experiment's findings suggested that cultivating short duration cucurbits in the rice cropping sequence during the post samba season could help farmers to generate additional income instead of leaving the land as fallow. This information could be beneficial for farmers in Tiruvallur district, as it provides an alternative income source and maximizes the land's productivity during the low-yielding season.

Key words : Rice; Cucurbits; Cropping Sequence; Yield; Economics