Abstract
The field experiment was conducted in Potowar plateau for two years (2004-05 and 2005-06) to monitor the effect
of different fallowing practices on soil moisture dynamics, fallow efficiency and wheat yield. At summer start,
conventional cultivator (CC), sub-soiler (SS), mouldboard plow (MP) and minimum tillage (MT) were applied as
main plot treatments and no mulch and straw mulch @ 4 Mg ha' in SUbplots. During winter the whole plot was
under wheat. It was observed that the soil moisture increased significantly after the summer and winter rainfalls
and dropped significantly in the periods in between, the highest being after summer rainfall (average 0.23m3
rn"),
The tillage systems differed significantly for Volumetric Soil Water (VSW) at wheat sowing, where MT showed
significantly low VSW than other tillage systems (15-23% lower than CC). The differences in VSW on other
sampling months were practically minor. Though numerically higher, mulch treatments generally showed nonsignificant differences. Fallow efficiency (FE) ranged from 22.82% to 33.25%. The MP showed higher or equal FE
than CC, while MT consistently showed lowest. Wheat dry matter ranged between 4.86 and 9.34 Mg ha and did
not differ among tillage systems except that MT showed lower values in 2004-05. The MP and MT gave 29% and
30% higher grain yields than CC during 2004-05 and 2005-06, respectively. Grain yield was 33% higher in mulch
than no mulch. The mouldbaord plow with mulch was more promising system for better wheat production in the
area.
