Technology Development with Zero Tillage and Stubble Residue Management for Sustainable Soil Health and System Productivity in Wheat-maize Cropping Pattern

Abstract

Conventional farm operations comprising traditional soil tillage and burning stubble residues become the cause of concern for soil sickness threatening sustainable system productivity. Wheat and maize constituting one of the predominant cropping systems strive with the commitment of substantial contribution to the world food security front. A better understanding of these alarming issues insisted on us to explore ‘Conservation Agriculture’ practices designing a field experiment with tillage and crop residue management. The study from 2019 to 2022 derived phenomenal achievement with Zero Tillage (ZT) and Minimal Tillage (MT) in compliance with crop residue retention (+ R); while, the eventuality of stubble burning (- R) deteriorated soil health, especially with Conventional Tillage (CT). Results illustrated significantly higher system productivity (11.60 - 12.0 t ha-1) in terms of wheat equivalent yield at (ZT+R) stands followed by those (11.34-11.64 t ha-1) at (MT + R), significantly higher than those (10.52 - 10.59 t ha-1) at conventional (CT-R) stands and those (10.63-10.78 t ha-1) at (CT+R) stands. Soil health also significantly improved at (ZT + R) stands accounting for higher soil porosity (39.45%), pH (7.64), electrical conductivity (0.370 dS m-1), hydraulic conductivity (10.56 mm h-1), soil organic carbon (0.458%), and N, P and K contents (272.5, 18.36 and 254.8 kg ha-1) than at conventional (CT -R) stands. Therefore, the study could develop a viable cutting-edge agro-technology fostering sustainable maize-wheat production in a system perspective mode. Nonetheless, the stewardship of zero tillage along with stubble residues could also be envisaged for the mitigation of soil sickness, too.