Tillage: Water and fertilizer effects on productivity: Profitability and soil health in rice under rice-wheat cropping system in Typic ustochrept soil of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

Tillage practices and nitrogen (N) sources are important factors affecting rice production. This study aimed to investigate the effects of N fertilize, irrigation strategies and tillage practices on crop productivity, NUE and soil properties in the rice field of western Uttar Pradesh. Among the yield attributes number of grains per panicle, panicle length (cm), numbers of spikelet’s per panicle and test weight were increased in transplanted basmati rice on wide raised beds and transplanted basmati rice after puddling plots, respectively. The improvement in grain yield 8.4 and 8.9 percent under transplanted basmati rice after puddling and transplanted basmati rice on wide raised beds plots, respectively over transplanted basmati rice on narrow raised beds practices. Average over the N treatments, higher ANUE was recorded under alternate wetting drying treatments (W2 and W3) than that of the continuous submergence (W1).The physiological N use efficiency (PNUE) values ranged from 33.0 to 45.1 kg grain/kg N uptake with decreasing values as the N doses increased. Results also indicated that rice transplanted on wide raised beds and transplanted rice under reduced tillage plots consumed more moisture from the deeper profile layer than conventional tillage practice Transplanted basmati rice after puddling recorded higher bulk density and more contribution from top layer. The B: C ratio under the treatments was in the descending order of N4160 kg N ha-1 > N5 200 kg N ha-1 > N3120 kg N ha-1 > N2 80 kg N ha-1 > N1 control.