Performance of rice-wheat cropping system under conservation agriculture based establishment techniques in eastern Indian plains

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted for two consecutive rice-wheat rotations to assess performance on system productivity, nutrient uptake and chemical properties of the soil. Four different crop establishment techniques [Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) followed by Surface Seeding (SS) in wheat, Bed Planting (BP) in rice followed by BP in wheat, Unpuddled Transplanted Rice (UPTR) followed by Zero Tillage (ZT) in wheat and Conventional Puddled Transplanted Rice (PTR) followed by wheat under Conventional Tillage (CT)] were tested. The highest Rice Equivalent Yield (REY) (8549 Kg ha-1) was recorded in conventional system where rice was grown under PTR and wheat under CT. It was statistically at par with rice (UPTR)-wheat (ZT) where the mean REY was 8545 Kg ha-1. The N, P and K uptake increased with higher biomass production under alternate establishment techniques like zero tillage or bed planting in wheat and unpuddled or puddled transplanting in rice. Though available K in soil decreased slightly (116.7-121.0 Kg ha-1 against 122.1 Kg ha-1), the status of organic C (0.87%) improved to 0.89-0.9% along with higher mineralizable N (131.2-137.9 Kg ha-1 against initial 128.4 Kg ha-1) and P (17.7-19.0 Kg ha-1 against initial 17.5 Kg ha-1) after two years of rotation suggesting the sustainability of this system under conservation tillage based establishment techniques. DOI: http://doi.org/10.25174/2249-4065/2019/94043