Journal of Agronomy and Field Innovations

Climate change-induced rainfall variability poses a severe threat to global food security, particularly in rainfed agricultural regions. Enhancing water productivity (WP) through the adoption of climate-resilient cropping systems (CRCS) is a critical adaptation strategy. This paper presents a comprehensive comparative evaluation of conventional and climate-resilient cropping systems under three variable rainfall scenarios: normal, deficit, and erratic distribution. Over a simulated period, traditional Rice-Wheat (RW) systems were compared against Pearl Millet-Chickpea (PMC), Sorghum-Mustard (SM), and Maize-Pigeon pea (MP) systems. The methodology involved evaluating crop yield, actual evapotranspiration, and economic returns to calculate physical and economic water productivity. The results indicate that while the RW system underperformed significantly during deficit rainfall (WP dropping by 42%), climate-resilient systems like PMC and SM maintained stable yields, exhibiting a 35% to 50% higher water productivity than conventional systems. This research thoroughly explores the agronomic, physiological, and economic mechanisms driving these variations, concluding that a systemic shift toward drought-tolerant, short-duration crops is vital for sustaining agricultural productivity under unpredictable climatic conditions.