Effect of tillage, nitrogen and crop residue on productivity of maize-wheat and direct seeded rice-wheat cropping systems
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Date
2019
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
The present study entitled “Effect of tillage, nitrogen and crop residue on productivity of maize-wheat and direct seeded rice-wheat cropping systems” was carried out at two locations viz. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana and University Seed Farm, Ladhowal for two years during rabi and kharif seasons of 2016-17 and 2017-18. The soil at Ladhowal was medium in organic carbon and available nitrogen and high in available phosphorus and potassium, while at PAU it was low in OC and available N, but medium in available P and K. The EC and soil pH were normal at both locations. The two experiments, on maize-wheat and direct seeded rice-wheat cropping systems, were laid in split-split plot design, consisting of two main plots (deep tillage and no deep tillage), four sub plots [conventional tillage without residue (CT-R); conventional tillage with residue (CT+R); minimum tillage without residue (MT-R) and minimum tillage with residue (MT+R)] and three sub-sub plots (three levels of nitrogen i.e. 125, 100 and 75 percent of recommended nitrogen). In maize-wheat system, treatments CT-R, CT+R, MT-R and MT+R were statistically at par with respect to grain yield and other growth parameters of maize and wheat crops. Root density of both maize and wheat was significantly higher under CT+R treatment. For weed management in maize the best treatment was CT-R while for wheat crop it was MT+R. Soil temperature was lowest under MT+R treatment in both the crops. N125 treatment recorded significantly higher yield and growth attributes both in maize and wheat crops as compared to N75, but was statistically at par with N100 treatment. Wheat grain yield under CT+R treatment with N125 was statistically at par with CT-R with N100. In DSR-wheat system, the conventional tillage system, both with or without residue, recorded better growth attributes and higher rice grain yield than MT-R and MT+R. Treatments CT-R, CT+R, MT-R and MT+R were statistically at par with respect to grain yield and growth parameters in wheat crop. CT-R treatment in DSR and MT+R in wheat recorded lowest weed count. The N125 and N100 treatments recorded significantly higher growth attributes and grain yield, both in DSR and wheat as compared to N75 treatment. Deep tillage significantly increased the grain yield and dry matter accumulation in maize and root density in both maize and wheat. The soil penetration resistance was significantly lower under deep tillage treatment and CT+R. The soil properties like OC, available NPK, soil aggregation, infiltration rate improved under CT+R. The addition of crop residue both under minimum tillage and conventional tillage significantly increased the soil microorganism count and dehydrogenase enzyme activity. The available soil nitrogen, microorganism count and dehydrogenase enzyme activity significantly increased with increasing nitrogen doses.
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