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A four-year field experiment was conducted in order to assess the productivity and economic potential of five cropping systems, with two tillage (conventional and deep) and four nutrient management [no application, farm yard manure (FYM) at 5 t ha(-1), chemical fertilizer (CF), FYM at 5 t ha(-1) + CF] treatments in a hot, arid environment at Bikaner, India. Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br], cluster bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L) Taub.] and moth bean [Vigna aconitzfolia (Jacq.) Marechal] were grown in five rotations. The five rotations were: moth bean-pearl millet, cluster bean-pearl millet, moth bean-cluster bean, pearl millet-pearl millet and pearl millet + cluster bean-pearl millet + cluster bean. The moth bean-cluster bean cropping system recorded 21-148%, 36-246% and 33-178% higher equivalent yields, return and water use efficiency, respectively than other cropping systems. Deep tillage increased equivalent yields by 20% higher than conventional tillage. The combined application of CF and FYM recorded 15 and 32% higher equivalent yields than their respective sole application. In this hot, arid ecosystem, a legume-legume system was more productive and profitable than other systems, and higher crop yields could be achieved by combining deep tillage with the integrated use of CF and FYM. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.