Tillage and crop residue management practices effect on soil physical properties under conservation agriculture in wheat

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during season rabi-2019, at Department of Agronomy, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, during season, to study the effect of tillage and crop residue management practices on soil physical properties under conservation agriculture in wheat. The experimental plot was laid out in split plot design of fifteen treatment combinations replicated thrice. Where in main plot consist of three tillage practices viz., Zero tillage (T1), Reduced tillage (T2) and Conventional tillage (T3) and sub plot to five crop residue management practices viz., crop residue @ 2.5 t/ha (R1), crop residue @ 5t/ha (R2), crop residue @ 2.5t/ha + consortia @ 5kg/ha (R3), crop residue @ 5t/ha + consortia @ 5kg/ha (R4) and without crop residue (R5). Proper tillage and crop residue application management can conserve more soil moisture and improve bulk density of soil was noted. The study of experiment revealed that reduced tillage and crop residue application @ 5t/ha + consortia @ 5kg/ha was found highest soil moisture content over the rest of treatments. In case of bulk density, the maximum improvement in soil bulk density was recorded with conventional tillage (1.20 Mg m-3) and crop residue application @ 5t/ha + consortia @ 5kg/ha (1.23 Mg m-3).