Conservation farming practices to mitigate the effects of climate change

Abstract

To study the effect of tillage practices in different cropping sequences with nutrient sources on soil health, the experiment was initiated in the Eastern block farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil nadu. The treatments are tillage practices, cropping sequences as main plots and mulch and nutrient sources as sub plots. The results indicated that in the cotton - green gram cropping sequence, higher cotton equivalent yield of 3413 kg/ha was recorded in mulch + 75% recommended dose of fertilizers and 25% N through organics. Among the tillage practices, conventional tillage registered highest cotton equivalent yield of 3382 kg/ha and followed by minimum tillage (3117 kg/ha). Irrespective of tillage and cropping, higher cotton equivalent yield recorded in mulch + 75% recommended dose of fertilizers and 25% N through organics (3014 kg/ha) which was on par with 100% RDF with mulch of 2902 kg/ha and no mulch with 75% RDF and 25% N through organics. Over all higher cotton equivalent yield of 4390 kg/ha was recorded in bhendi- maize cropping sequence. As a cropping sequence, bhendi maize registered higher residue addition and the lowest was in the cotton –greengram sequence. Sequence as a whole, high total carbon removal could be possible with bhendi - maize sequence and higher carbon stock achieved in the bhendi - maize cropping sequence under minimum tillage with mulch + 75% recommended dose of fertilizer + 25% through organics.