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Effecf of Minimum Tillage on Soil Properties, Crop Growth and Yield of Aman Rice in Drought Prone Northwest Bangladesh

AKM Saiful Islam
PhD fellow
Dept. of FPM, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

M. M. Hossein
Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

M. A. Saleque
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh

M. A. Rehman
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh

B. Kannakar
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh

M. E. Haque
IDE, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The experiment was carried out at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Rajshahi during June to November 2009 in order to investigate the minimum tillage effects on rice crop growth and yield, physical properties of soil, task time, fuel consumption, labour and water productivity. Rice variety BRll was transplanted in puddled-conventional tillage (CT) and bed planting (BPI); un puddled- bed planting (BP2) and strip tillage (ST) in the drought-prone northwest district of Bangladesh. Time required for transplanting was almost doubled in unpuddled condition relative to puddle one. Weeding cost was higher in unpuddled field compared to that in puddled field. Bed planting and strip tillage under unpuddled condition saved fuel and water usage by 31-76% and 25-26% compared to conventional tillage, respectively. Unpuddled transplanting could not provide yield advantage over puddled transplanting. Bulk density, porosity and soil compactness were not changed significantly with tillage treatment. Bulk density was under l.47 g cm^-3 depth, while porosity was over 50% in 7.5-15 cm depth for all the treatments. Significantly higher benefit-cost ratio was observed in treatments BPl (l.83) and CT (l.81) followed by BP2 (l.60) and 5T (l.55). Rice grown in unpuddled could be an emerging technology if weeds can be minimized by applying post or pre-emergence herbicide.

Keywords: Strip tillage, Soil properties, Bed planting, Water productivity

Location: Bangladesh Rice Research Institute , Regional Station, Rajshahi

Start Date: 00-06-2009

End Date: 00-11-2009

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Rice

Objectives:

To investigate the minimum tillage effects on rice crop growth and yield, physical properties of soil, task time, fuel consumption, labour and water productivity..

Methodology:

The experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) , Regional Station, Rajshahi during June to November, 2009. The treatments were in puddled condition (i) conventional puddling (C'T); (ii) conventional puddling and bed formed by shaper (BPI); and in unpuddled condition (iii) bed planting (BP2) and; (iv) strip tillage (S'I). Conventional puddling consisted of primary tillage using 2 passes by 2 wheel tractor (WT and exposed to sun for two days followed by inundating whole plot and puddling by 2 WT with 2 passes. ST and BP2 were done by Versatile Multicrop planter (VMP) in single pass operation. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block (RCB) design with three replications. Thirty-five-day old seedlings of BRll were transplanted in all tillage treatments on 19 august 2009. Soil strength was measured from the soil surface to a depth of 15 cm at 2.5 cm depth increments from three points of each plot after harvesting rice. Crops were harvested using sickle depending on the maturity of the variety. Crops were threshed using pedal thresher and cleaned by using winnower. At maturity, 12 hills were sampled diagonally to determine aboveground total biomass, harvest index and yield components. Panicle number of each hill was counted to determine the panicle number per m². Plant samples were separated into straw and panicles. The dry weight of straw was determined after oven-drying at 70⁰C to constant weight. Grain yield were recorded from 10 m² sampling area within each plot and adjusted to moisture content of 14%. The data were analyzed by statistical software Mstat-C. Least significant difference (LSD) test was performed to determine the significant differences among the treatments.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Agron. J. 2012, 15 (1): 43-51 , ISSN 1013-1922

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Bulk density, porosity and soil compactness was not changed significantly with tillage treatment after one season. Bulk density in 7.5-15 cm depth was under 1.47 g/cm3, whereas porosity was over 50% in this depth for all treatments. Un puddled transplanting reduced fuel and water usage by 31-76% and 25-26%, respectively compared to CT. CT provided lower cost compared to other tillage treatment due to less weed infestation. Unpuddled transplanting of rice under ST and BP2 has no yield advantage over CT. The gross margin and benefit cost ratio was found higher in CT and BPI because of the lower input costs due to less weed infestation. ST and BP showed lowest BCR due to highest input cost and lowest gross return. Labour requirement was higher in BPI to make good shape of bed. Transplanting rice in unpuddled condition offers a fuel, task time, C0₂emission and irrigation water saving technologies in wet season cultivation. The results of this study indicated that unpuddled transplanting under ST and BP may be adaptable to establish wet season rice in this region.

Knowledge Management: Journal