Vol. 7, Issue 4 (2019)
Dynamic of new generation tillage and crop establishment techniques on crop-water productivity and soil health in rice-wheat rotation in North-Western IGP: A review
Author(s): Saurabh Tyagi, RK Naresh, Satya Prakash, Kanti Tyagi, Lali Jaat and NC Mahajan
Abstract: Conventional tillage and crop establishment methods such as puddled transplanting in the rice–wheat (Oryza sativa L.–Triticum aestivum L.) system in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) require a large amount of water and labour, both of which are increasingly becoming scarce and expensive. We attempted to evaluate alternatives that would require smaller amounts of these two inputs. The yields of rice in the conventional puddled transplanting and direct-seeding on puddled or non-puddled (no-tillage) flatbed systems were equal. Yields of wheat following either the puddled-transplanted or no-tillage direct-seeded rice were also equal. Compared with conventional puddled transplanting; direct seeding of rice on raised beds had a 13 to 23% savings of irrigation water, but with an associated yield loss of 14 to 25%. Nevertheless, water use efficiency (WUE) in the rice–wheat system was higher with direct-seeded rice (0.45 g L−1) than with transplanted rice (0.37–0.43 g L−1). Moreover, CT-TPR system, zero till direct-seeded rice (ZT-DSR) consumed 6%–10% less water with almost equal system productivity and demonstrated higher water productivity. Bulk density (Db) of the 10- to 20-cm soil layer was highest under puddled treatments (1.74–1.77 Mg m−3) and lowest under ZT treatments (1.66–1.71 Mg m−3). Likewise, soil penetration resistance (SPR) was highest at the 20-cm depth in puddled treatments (3.46−3.72 MPa) and lowest in ZT treatments (2.51–2.82 MPa). Compared with conventional practice, on average, water-stable aggregates (WSAs) > 0.25 mm were 28% higher in ZT direct-seeding with positive time trend of 4.02% yr−1. Infiltration was higher (0.29–0.40 cm h−1) in ZT treatments than puddled treatments (0.18 cm h−1). Gradual improvement in soil physical parameters in ZT system resulted in improvement in wheat yield and is expected to be superior in long run on system (rice-wheat) basis. Although the labile pools of SOC were positively affected by conservation tillage practices (CT–NT, NT–NT, and NT–CT), the less labile pool was only influenced by the continuous NT and NT–CT in the 0- to 5-cm depth. Plots under NT–NT and NT–CT had about 27 and 19% higher labile SOC pool than CT–CT plots (5.65 g C kg–1 soil), and NT–NT and NT–CT plots had about 14 and 11% higher less labile SOC pool than CT–CT plots (2.61 g C kg–1 soil) in that soil layer. SOC storage decreased with soil depth, with a significant accumulation at 0-20cm depth. Plots under NT–NT had about 10% higher coarse (250–2000 μm) intra-aggregate particulate organic matter-C (iPOM–C) within >2000 μm sand free aggregates in the 0- to 5-cm soil layer compared with CT–CT plots. The fine (53–250 μm) iPOM–C within the 250- to 2000-μm aggregates was also higher in the continuous NT plots compared with CT within both >2000 and 250 to 2000 μm sand free aggregate size classes in that soil layer. The application of conservation tillage practices to be crucial for maintaining crop, water productivity and soil quality in soils of the North Western IGP.
Pages: 3047-3065 | 215 Views 53 Downloads
download (27829KB)
How to cite this article:
Saurabh Tyagi, RK Naresh, Satya Prakash, Kanti Tyagi, Lali Jaat, NC Mahajan. Dynamic of new generation tillage and crop establishment techniques on crop-water productivity and soil health in rice-wheat rotation in North-Western IGP: A review. Int J Chem Stud 2019;7(4):3047-3065.
