Effect of tillage and soil moisture conservation practices on crop yields of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and soil properties under rainfed conditions

Abstract

A study was conducted during 2000-03 to study the effects of tillage and soil moisture conservation practices on the productivity of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and soil properties under rainfed condition in a sandy clay loam soil. Among tillage treatments deep summer ploughing, followed by 2 harrowing was found superior with respect to plant stand, branches/plant, plant height, yield attributes and yields as compared to zero tillage. Application of foliage mulch @ 5 and 7.5 tonnes/ha with or without jalshakti recorded significantly higher values of growth and yield attributes under deep summer ploughing, followed by 2 harrowing or only 3 harrowing compared with the other treatment combinations. Application of foliage mulch @ 5 tonnes/ha or jalshakti did not increase grain yield when they were not applied in combination. Application of 7.5 tonnes foliage mulch/ha + 2.5 kg jalshakti/ha gave significantly higher grain yields (1.68 to 1.80 tonnes/ha) at all the tillage levels compared with the other treatment combinations, however, it was at par with 5.0 tonnes foliage mulch /ha + 5.0 kg jalshakti /ha applied with either zero tillage ( 1.67 tonnes/ha) or with summer deep ploughing, followed by 2 harrowings (1.71 tonnes/ha). Application of 7.5 tonnes/ha foliage mulch with 2.5 kg/ha jalshakti in zero tillage gave higher net returns (Rs 10 181/ha) but the B:C ratio (0.91 was highest with the application of 5.0 tonnes/ha foliage mulch and 5.0 kg/ha,jalshakti in zero tillage. After 3 years zero tillage lowered soil pH and bulk density and improved the soil organic C and available N. Higher values of infiltration rates (13.8 mm/hr) and available P (15.0 %) were recorded from deep summer ploughing, followed by 2 harrowings. Among moisture conservation practices application of foliage mulch @ 7.5 and 5 tonnes/ha with or without jalshakti was better than other practices because it improved soil properties, like reduced pH (7.1 to 6.7) and bulk density (1.55 to 1.40 g/cc) and increased values of porosity (43.5 to 51.3 %), infiltration rate (7.5 to 15.6 mm/hr), organic carbon (0.46 to 0.71 %), available N(173.7 to 268.1 kg/ha), P(9.8 to 16.7 kg/ha) and K(214.2 to 257.2 kg/ha) and exchangeable Mg (0.08 to 0.10%) compared with their initial values.