SUSTAINABLE YIELDS OF MAJOR CROPS IN SATPURA REGION OF MADHYA-PRADESH

A field experiment was conducted during 1980-90 with rainfed sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench], maize (Zea mays L.), soybean [Glycine ma x (L.) Merr.], gram (Cicer arietinum L.) and irrigated wheat (Triticum aestivum L emend. Fiori & Paol.) in farmers' fields to study sustaina ble yield index. The crops were grown in a wide range of soils in the region. The mean yields obtained were 2-3 times by following the impro ved production technology compared with the control. The sustainable y ield index was 0.60-0.81, indicating that minimum guaranteed yield wou ld be more than 60-81% of the potential yield (1.61-3.86 tonnes/ha), w ith higher probability in gram and maize. The sustainable yield index was 0.32-0.59 in the control, and it was highest in maize (0.8 1) and the lowest (0.60) in gram. In respect of performance of crop varieties , the highest sustainable yield index (0.92) was noted in 'Punjab 1' s oybean and the lowest (0.57) in 'Lok 1' wheat, indicating that the min imum guaranteed yield would be more than 92 and 57% of the potential y ield (1.67 and 4.27 tonnes/ha) respectively in these crops.