Soybean Based Cropping Systems in Central India: Production Growth and Instability Analysis

Aim: Soybean is one of the most substantial contributors to the Indian edible oil pool and Madhya Pradesh is its dominant contributor necessities the study on growth and instability of soybean based cropping systems including wheat and chickpea as Rabi crop in the system in Madhya Pradesh.

Study and Design: The estimates of compound growth rate and instability were worked out for the period of 32 years (1988-89 to 2019-20).

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in nine major soybean growing districts having more than 75 percent Kharif cropped area under soybean crop including Bhopal (84%), Sehore (82%), Rajgarh (82%), Indore (91%), Ujjain (98%), Mandsaur (78%), Ratlam (79%), Shajapur including Aagar Malwa (95%) and Harda (75%) were purposively selected for the present study of Madhya Pradesh state by taking wheat and gram as Rabi crop in the system.

Methodology: The exponential trend equation was used to estimate the compound growth rate. Using the Cuddy Della Valle Instability Index (CDVI) the risk was estimated for the soybean crop's area, production, and productivity.

Results: The results of the study reveal that in the state of Madhya Pradesh positive and significant growth rate in the area, production, and productivity of soybean based cropping systems i.e. soybean, wheat after soybean, and chickpea after soybean were observed. On the contrary growth in productivity of soybean was positive but it is insignificant. Most of the selected districts also lie in low instability zone for production components of soybean based cropping systems.

Conclusion: Approximately 30 per cent of the soybean production in the state was in the range of low range of production growth with low to medium instability. The lower production growth was mainly due to insignificant growth in productivity in mentioned districts. Thus, major emphasis should be given to increasing the productivity of soybean by an improved package of practices along with recommended variety according to an agro-climatic situation.