Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the residual effect of conventional (CT) and zero tillage (ZT) methods after wheat 2013-14 on moisture dynamics after three consecutive seasons under rice- wheat cropping system at the research farm of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India. Soil matric suction (SMT) and water content were measured by using Tensiometer and Time Domain Reflectrometer, respectively at 10, 20 and 30 cm and 7.5 cm soil depths. Soil temperature (by using digital soil thermometer) at 5 cm depth. Evaporation was measured by using Mini-lysimetrs. Outcome of study clearly depicted that conventionally tilled wheat plots followed by conventionally tilled direct seeded rice followed by conventionally tilled wheat (CTW-DSRCT-CTW) plots conserved more moisture than the zero tilled wheat followed by zero tilled direct seeded rice followed by zero tilled wheat (ZT-DSRZT-ZTW) plots. On an average, during the intervening period after wheat, SMT was 21, 16 and 17% more in ZT plots than CT plots at 10, 20 and 30 cm soil depths, respectively while soil temperature was 2.1% more in the ZT plots. Recorded water depths upto 7.5 cm of soil surface was 9.5% more in CT plots than ZT treatments. Evaporation losses were higher (12.9%) in ZT plots, due to higher surface temperature and continuity of soil pores. It was concluded from the data that CT treatment retained prolonged and higher contents of soil moisture during intervening period which might be useful for cultivating short intervening crop viz. moong.
Surinder Singh Kukal , Rajan Bhatt. (2015) Soil moisture dynamics during intervening period in rice-wheat sequence as affected by different tillage methods at Ludhiana, Punjab, India, The Journal Soil & Environment , Volume 34, issue 1.
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