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Effects of Soil Strength on Root Growth of Rice Crop for Different Dryland Tillage Methods

Md. Ashraful Haque
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.

R.l. Sarker
Professor
Dept. of Farm Power and Machinery Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.

Murshed Alam
Associate Professor
Dept. of Farm Power and Machinery Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The present study summarizes the effects of soil strength on root growth of rice plants in different plots ploughed by bullock-operated country plough, power tiller-mounted rotary plough and tractor mounted mould board plough under dry soil condition. The influence of soil strength on root growth of rice variety BR-S in silk loam soil was studied. A soil penetrometer was used to observe and measure the soil strength. A glass box was used to measure the root growth. The root growth was measured at 7-day interval for a period of 64 days at different soil strength. The relationship between soil strength (affected by tillage) and plant root growth was expressed by a linear equation. It was observed that the root growth was not significantly affected by the different tillage methods and that higher soil strength impeded the root growth. Statistical F-tests also show that there was no significant difference between tillage methods on soil strength and root growth of the rice crop.

Keywords: Soil strength, Root growth, Rice crops, Dryland tillage method

Location: Bangladesh Agricultural University Farm

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Land management

Objectives:

1. To compare the root growth of rice crop in the field under three different land preparation methods such as bullock operated country plough followed by laddering, power tiller operated rotary plough, and a tractor-mounted mould board plough followed by harrowing with a disc harrow as practiced in Bangladesh.

2. To find out the relationship between soil strength vs. root growth; and

3. To compare seed bed soil strength under three tillage methods for land preparation.

Methodology:

Experiments were conducted at the Bangladesh Agricultural University Farm. An area of 0.21 ha was selected and divided into 3 plots (P₁, P₂, and P₃) for dry land tillage. Three different tillage methods 1, 2 and 3 as described below, were adopted for the experiment in the plots P₁, P₂ and P₃, respectively. A pair of bullocks with an estimated power of 0.46 kW was engaged to operate the country plough and ladder in tillage operation at plot- P₁. The numbers of passes for tillage operation were 5 followed by one laddering operation. A power tiller (2-wheel tractor) of 7.5 kW nominal rating equipped with a rotary plough was used for tillage operation at plot- P₂. The number of passes for tillage operation were 3. Tillage operation at plot- P₃ was accomplished with a 4-wheel farm tractor "International 434" of 30 kW nominal rating equipped with a 3 -bottom, 20-cm mould board plough and an offset disk harrow with 17 disks arranged in two gangs. The land was prepared by one ploughing followed by two harrowing operations. The soil belonged to silty loam type at all the plots. The soil physical and mineralogical properties of the experimental farm are shown. The entire plot received an application of 14 kg, 12.6 kg and 8.4 kg of N₂, P₂O₅ and K₂O, respectively. Half of the N₂ was applied during tillage, 25% N₂ at 30 and 50 days after sowing. Each three tillage treatments by the three power sources with three replications were conducted in the plots. Tilling depths were maintained at 11-15 cm. Before sowing the average soil strength and bulk density were 0.32 MPa and 1.35 gm/cc, respectively. At this stage BR-S paddy seeds were sown and within 4 days germination occurred. Sowing was completed in the months of April-May each year. Soil strength was measured as soil penetration resistance with a Reviakin Penetrometer at seven days intervals for a period of 64 days (before flowering) to correlate with root growth. In order to measure the root growth under controlled condition, a rectangular glassbox of 40 x 30 cm size was set at a depth of 40 cm around each plant. Three rice plants were surrounded in each plots to conduct the experiment. Three sides of the box was packed up with tilled soil and one side was kept open in such a way that during recording data, the roots are not injured. Six readings were taken per plot for the three plants at the points 'A' and 'B' to measure soil strength at different times of plant growth. Corresponding temperature and rainfall data during root growth were collected from the Bangladesh Agricultural University Weather Yard. After every 7 days root growth, with respect to the corresponding soil strength, was recorded in the plots P₁, P₂ and P₃. The open surface of the glass box was graduated in centimeters for accurate measurement of root growth. Utmost care was taken to maintain natural condition for the growth of the rice plant. The F-test was done for verifying the hypothesis that there was no significant differences in the three tillage methods on soil strength and root growth of the rice crop. There is no difference among the means of the three treatments.

Source of Information: Agricultural Mechanization in Asia, Africa and Latin America 2001 Vol.32 No.2

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The root growth was impeded by soil strength which was shown by the negative slope of regression equations as -32.16, -35.85 and -28.50 with the corresponding correlation coefficients of -0.51, -0.49 and -0.57, respectively for the 3 plots. The root growth of the rice crop was not severely affected by the three different tillage methods adopted in the experiment for land preparation. Rather, the soil strength influenced the root growth in shallow rooted plants. Besides other parasitic factors like temperature, moisture and soil nutrients, the root growth was turned out to be a function of soil strength.

Knowledge Management: Journal