Effect of Tillage Options and Straw Management on Crops Productivity and Soil Fertility in Rice-Wheat-Cropping Pattern

Rice-Wheat Crop Productivity

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during winter season to study the productivity under three
N fertilizer levels (80,100 and 120% N of recommended dose), two levels of straw retention (0 and 30%)
and three tillage options (permanent raised bed, fresh bed and conventional tillage practice) in a Rice-
Wheat cropping system. Tillage options have been found to affect thousand grain weight (TGW) and grain
yield where 49.6, 52.9 and 54.7 g for TGW and 3.77, 3.98 and 4.41 t/ha for grain yield for conventional,
permanent bed and fresh bed, respectively were found for wheat. The spikes/m2 was 343, 322 and 337
while, the spikelets/spike were recorded as 17.2, 17.6 and 17.8 for conventional, permanent and fresh bed,
respectively. Different tillage options were found to cause the formation of grains/spike, 43.2, 49.7 and
50.8, respectively. Therefore, other yield components were assumed to be enhanced in response to fresh
bed tillage option. Fresh bed with 30% straw retention produced highest productivity and similar results
were also obtained from permanent beds with 30% straw retention. Fresh bed with 120% recommended
N produced the highest productivity for wheat which was similar to permanent bed with 120% N. The
increase in yield was associated with progressive increase in all growth components and will give a new
insight to identify the strategy for the development of wheat and other crops cultivation.