Conservation Agriculture in Cereals Systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains: Impacts on Productivity, Resource-use Efficiency and Soil Properties Das T.K.1*, Ranbir Singh2, Chhokar R.S.3, Nayak A.K.4, Choudhary V.K.5, Rishi Raj1, Singh Ajay2, Sonia Rani2, Gill S.C.3, Biswas A.K.6, Patra A.K.6, Chaudhari S.K.7 1ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 2ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana 3ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, Haryana 4ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack, Odisha 5ICAR-Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 6ICAR-Indian Institute of Soil Science, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 7Krishi Anusandhan Bhawan II, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi *Corresponding author, Email: tkdas64@gmail.com
Online published on 22 March, 2022. Abstract Conservation agriculture (CA)-based experiments were conducted at various locations in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) of India in rice-based and other cropping systems. A triple ZT system at IARI, New Delhi, involving zero tillage DSR (ZTDSR) with green gram (GG) residue (GGR)- ZT wheat (ZTW)/ZT mustard (ZTM) with rice residue (RR) - ZTGG with wheat residue (WR)/ mustard residue (MR) (GGR+ ZTDSR - RR+ZTW/ZTM-WR/MR+ ZTGG) gave 29% and 45% higher system productivity and 27 and 54% higher system net returns in rice-wheat and rice-mustard cropping systems compared to the TPR-Conventional wheat/maize system, respectively. Similarly, the system productivity in maize-wheat- green gram under CA was higher compared to conventional tillage system. Another study in Karnal showed that the exclusion of tillage in DSR could reduce energy input by 41% and save irrigation water by 26% compared to conventional puddled transplanted rice (CT-R). In Jabalpur, the similar system, i.e., DSRZT+ crop residue (R)+ Sesbania (S)- ZTW+R- ZTGG (green gram) +R led to higher irrigation and total water productivities of by 74% and 25%, respectively over the DSRCT+S-CTW-ZTGG system. Zero tillage had lowest bulk density (1.51 Mg/m3) and soil resistance to penetration (1.48 MPa), but had the highest infiltration rate (0.44 cm h-1), which indicated an improvement in soil physical conditions under CA. Higher SOC (0.84%), available N and P and micro-nutrient (Zn, Cu, and Mn) contents were also recorded under CA. The CT or minimum tillage in rice followed by conventional maize with recommended dose of fertilizer and residue mulch @ 6t ha-1 resulted in higher N2O emission compared to other treatments. However, when minimum tillage in rice was followed by ZT maize with similar fertilizer inputs but no residue, lowest emission was recorded. CA-based RWS or diversification of the RWS with suitable crops may be recommended for the IGP of India, and also in similar agro-ecologies of the tropics and sub-tropics for higher productivity, resource-use efficiency and better soil properties. Inclusion of a legume, preferably green gram during summer months would provide additional yield and income, and bring more sustainability in this system. Top Keywords Conservation agriculture, crop yields, rice-wheat system, diversification, resource-use efficiency, soil properties. Top |