Intensification and diversification increase land and water productivity and profitability of rice-based cropping systems on the High Ganges River Floodplain of Bangladesh

The results suggest that intensification from T.boro-T.aman to a wheat-mungbean-aman system can increase system productivity and profitability and reduce irrigation requirement, and that replacement of T.aman with DSaman in the triple cropping system can be done with reduced irrigation input, increased wheat yield, and little effect on rice yield. Furthermore, tillage for all three crops can be reduced to strip tillage with no adverse effects on productivity or profitability. Long term studies are needed to determine the full impacts of the changes in crop intensification, establishment method, tillage and residue management on soil properties, irrigation requirement and crop performance.