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Effect of Tillage Practices on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity in Wheat-mungbean-rice Cropping System Under Subtropical Climatic Conditions

Md. Khairul Alam
Soil Science Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh

Md. Monirul Islam
Tuber Crops Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh

Nazmus Salahin
Soil Science Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh

Mirza Hasanuzzaman
Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

This study was conducted to know cropping cycles required to improve organic matter (OM) status in soil and to investigate the effects of medium term tillage practices on soil properties and crop yields in Grey Terrace soil of Bangladesh under wheat-mungbean-T. Aman cropping system. Four different tillage practices, namely, zero tillage (ZT), minimum tillage (MT), conventional tillage (CT), and deep tillage (DT), were studied in a randomized complete block (RCB) design with four replications. Tillage practices showed positive effects on soil properties and crop yields. After four cropping cycles, the highest OM accumulation, the maximum root mass density (0– 15 cm soil depth), and the improved physical and chemical properties were recorded in the conservational tillage practices. Bulk and particle densities were decreased due to tillage practices, having the highest reduction of these properties and the highest increase of porosity and field capacity in zero tillage. The highest total N, P, K, and S in their available forms were recorded in zero tillage. All tillage practices showed similar yield after four years of cropping cycles. Therefore, it can be concluded that zero tillage with 20% residue retention was found to be suitable for soil health and achieving optimum yield under the cropping system in Grey Terrace soil (Aeric Albaquept).

Keywords: Tillage practices, Soil properties, Crop productivity, Wheat-Mungbean-Rice Cropping System, Subtropical Climatic Conditions

Location: Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-00-2008

End Date: 00-00-2012

Program Area: Farming System

Commodity: Land development productivity

Objectives:

The general objectives were

to evaluate the effects of tillage practices on soil hydrophysical properties,
to study the effect of tillage practices on the yield performances of wheat-mungbean-T. Aman cropping system, and
to study the medium-term effect of tillage practices on organic matter (OM) status of soil.

Methodology:

Study Area: The field experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Gazipur, Bangladesh, for the four consecutive years from 2008 to 2012. The experimental site is located at the centre of the agroecological zone of Madhupur tract (AEZ-28). The soil belongs to the Chhiata series of the Grey Terrace soils (Aeric Albaquept) under the order Inceptisols in the USDA Soil Taxonomy. The textural class was clay loam having soil pH 5.7 and the land type is medium high. The climate of the experimental area was subtropical, wet, and humid. Heavy rainfall occurs in the monsoon and is scarce in other times. The climatic data of the study area for the period from 2008 to 2012 indicates that the mean annual rainfall is above 1600 mm of which 72.2% is received during the main growing season (Kharif: one of the three seasons in Bengali crop calendar starting from mid-March and stretching to mid-October), that is, from the middle of March 2009 to the middle of October 2009. July and August alone contributed more than 50% to the annual rainfall. From late October to mid-March, the minimum and maximum temperatures were in the lowest range whereas from mid-March onward up to mid-October temperature was in the maximum range. However, the highest maximum temperature was recorded in May.

Cropping Season: There are three major cropping seasons in Bangladesh, namely, Rabi, Kharif-I, and Kharif-II. Rabi season stretches from the middle of October to the middle of March, Kharif-I season stretches from the middle of March to the end of June, and Kharif-II season stretches from early July to the middle of October. In this experiment, wheat was grown in Rabi season, whereas mungbean and T. aman were in the Kharif-I and Kharif-II, respectively. The Test Crop. The first crop of the cropping system was wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. Sourav which was collected from the Wheat Research Centre (WRC) of BARI, Gazipur. It is a semidwarf, early maturing variety having large white grain and is suitable for cultivation in both irrigated and rain-fed conditions. The seeds of mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) cv. BARI Mung 5 were collected from the Pulse Research Centre of BARI, Gazipur, while seeds of T. aman rice (Oryza sativa L.) cv. BRRI dhan39 were collected from the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Gazipur, Bangladesh. Experimental Design: The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The experimental design was performed as follows: zero tillage (ZT: a single slot is opened for seed sowing or transplanting), minimum tillage (MT: ploughed by power tiller maintaining depth by depth control lever up to 6– 8 cm), conventional tillage (CT: similar to MT up to 14–16 cm depth), and deep tillage (DT: tillage by chisel plough up to 24–26 cm depth). The unit plot size was 5 m × 4 m.

Source of Information: The Scientific World Journal, Volume 2014 (2014), Article ID 437283, 15 pages

Article Link (Online Journal): http://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2014/437283/

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

After four years, different tillage practices showed that they influenced soil physical and chemical properties along with the improvement of SOM status under wheat-mungbean-T. Aman cropping systems. ZT with mungbean biomass and residue incorporation conserved moisture in the soil profile and improved other soil properties, reduced the bulk density and increased OM, porosity, AWC, and RMD. After four years, the chemical properties were also improved due to ZT and MT practices. The highest total N (%), P, K, and S in their available forms were found in zero tillage. All tillage practices showed statistically similar yield after four years of cropping cycles. Therefore, zero tillage (minimum soil disturbance) with 20% residue retention was found to be suitable to improve soil conditions and to achieve optimum yield under wheat-mungbean-T. Aman cropping system in the Grey Terrace soil (Aeric Albaquept).

Knowledge Management: Journal