Researchers conducted a study to find the best rice-based crop sequences for sustainable productivity and profit in the Himalayan foothills. They tested 10 different sequences, including wheat-rice, chickpea-rice, and lentil-rice. Green-manuring with sesbania and mungbean increased rice yield and land-use efficiency. Chickpea-rice was the most productive sequence with two crops. Among high-intensity cropping, chickpea-maize + cowpea fodder-rice was the most efficient in terms of yield and economic returns. Wheat-maize + cowpea fodder-rice was the top producer of carbohydrates and chemical energy.