The effect of seeding and tillage methods on productivity of rice–wheat cropping system

Many farmers in southeast Asia are growing rice on unpuddled soil. This practice does not permit breaking of the deadlock of increase in productivity in spite of using high yielding varieties and practising all known scientific technologies. Furthermore, farmers do dry seeding which leads to heavy infestation of weeds and reduces response to other inputs. Similarly, in rice–wheat belt due to short turn around time farmers resort to broadcast sowing of wheat after rice and no data on benefits or otherwise of tillage are available. A field study was therefore conducted for 3 years (1993–1994 to 1995–1996) at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to study the effect of tillage and seeding methods in rice–wheat cropping system. Treatments included four combinations of two puddling treatments (puddling and no puddling) and two methods of rice seeding (direct seeding and transplanting) in rice and two tillage treatments (zero and conventional tillage) in wheat. Results indicated that puddling increased grain yield of rice by 0.7–1 t ha⁻¹ and of succeeding wheat by 0.2–0.4 t ha⁻¹, straw yield of rice by 0.8–1.7 t ha⁻¹ and of succeeding wheat by 0.1–1.0 t ha⁻¹.

Puddling reduced water requirement of rice by 75 mm ha and increased net return of rice–wheat system by US $175 ha⁻¹. Transplanted rice gave significantly higher grain and straw yields and net returns than direct seeded rice both on puddled and unpuddled seedbed. Conventional tillage in wheat also increased productivity of rice–wheat cropping system significantly over zero tillage after both puddled and non-puddled rice. Our results thus show that rice should be grown on puddled soil and wheat after rice should be sown after conventional tillage.     

Efficiency and energy use in puddling of lowland rice grown on Vertisols in Central India

Transplanting of rice seedling in puddled soil is one of the most widely used cultivation practices. The present research is aimed at determining what specific implements are needed to obtain optimal puddle bed for transplantating. Puddling experiments were carried out by the use of pair of bullocks with traditional country plough (T₁), pair of bullocks with lug wheel puddler (T₂), power tiller with rotary puddler (T₃), tractor with cage wheel and 9-tine cultivator (T₄) and tractor with cage wheel and rotavator (T₅). One summer ploughing was done at friable moisture condition (18.6% db) and then tilled soil was flooded to saturation (24 h) for preparation of puddled bed. Weeding efficiency, puddling depth, percentage increase in bulk density, puddling index, percolation rate and grain yield of paddy were studied for the above treatments. Puddling performance by different implements in comparison to the traditional animal drawn country plough (T₁) shows that there is a definite reduction in time requirement for field preparation. Increase in weeding efficiency, bulk density, grain yield and puddling index were also observed. The highest values of weeding efficiency and puddling index were found 98.6% and 79.3, respectively, for rotavator (T₅). The total time requirement for preparation of puddle field for treatment T₄ (tractor with cultivator) was found to be the lowest (9.4 h ha⁻¹) with 67% weeding efficiency and 62.7 puddling index as compared to all other alternatives tested. Energy requirement for preparation of puddle field was found highest (2390 MJ ha⁻¹) for rotavator (T₅) followed by T₃, T₄, T₁, and T₂ treatments.     

Influence of tillage practices and nutrient management on crack parameters in a Vertisol of central India

The frequency, size and rate of development of cracks influence the transport of water, nutrients and gases in the soil profile and plant growth processes in Vertisols. Despite their importance, studies on characterising cracks in Vertisols of India are limited. This study attempts to evaluate the influence of different tillage practices, nutrient management and cropping systems on cracking behaviour of a Vertisol in central India. The length, depth, width, area and volume of cracks were recorded after the harvest of the wet season crops, i.e. soybean (Glycine max L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.) from three ongoing tillage experiments with three different cropping systems, i.e. soybean–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), soybean–linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) and rice–wheat. The results revealed that all the crack parameters were significantly negatively correlated with the water content of the 0–15 cm soil layer and, crack width and crack volume were significantly positively correlated with the bulk density of the 0–15 cm soil layer. Gravimetric water content and bulk density of the 0–15 cm soil layer together explained 79% variation in the crack volume. The crack volume was significantly negatively correlated (r=0.86,P=0.01) with the root length density of the previous soybean crop. Rice grown under puddled condition significantly enhanced different crack parameters viz., length, depth, width, surface area and volume of the cracks over nonpuddled direct seeded rice. Sub-soiling practised in soybean under the soybean–linseed system significantly reduced the width, depth, length and surface area of cracks by 12.5, 10, 5 and 12%, respectively, over conventional tillage. No tillage practised in soybean under soybean–wheat system resulted in significant increase in width, depth and volume of the cracks but decrease in length and surface area of cracks over conventional tillage and mould board tillage practice. Application of manure reduced the magnitude of different crack parameters in soybean–linseed cropping system. Thus cracking in Vertisols can be favourably managed by the selection of proper tillage practice, cropping system and organic manure amendments.     

Influence of tillage and crop residue on soil physical properties and yields of rice and wheat under shallow water table conditions

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of tillage and residue incorporation on soil properties and yields of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in rotation for 4 years on a silty clay loam of an Aquic Hapludoll with natural water table fluctuating between 0.05 and 0.97 m depth The rice experiment was laid out in split plot design with four levels of tillage, viz. conventional puddling (CP), puddling by four passes of rotavator (PR), reduced puddling by two passes of rotavator (ReP), and direct seeding without puddling (DSWP) and two levels of residue, viz. residue incorporation (RI) and residue removal (RR) in four replications. The treatments for wheat were zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT) with RI and RR superimposed over the plots of rice. Tillage for rice increased puddling index and bulk density (BD) over the years. The increase was significantly higher in CP and PR than in ReP. In wheat season, BD was higher under ZT than under CT but the differences were not significant. Puddling decreased saturated hydraulic conductivity with time, which became significantly lower in CP and PR in the fourth year than in ReP in the first year. Infiltration rate (IR) also decreased with time and was lowest in CP and PR. In wheat season, IR was at par under ZT and CT. Rice yield in PR was maximum and at par with that in ReP. But wheat yield was lowest in PR and highest in DSWP, and was at par in DSWP and ReP. Thus, rice yields were optimum under ReP, in which changes in soil properties were least, and wheat yields were optimum both under ZT and CT in the DSWP and ReP plots of rice under shallow water table conditions of the silty clay loam.     

Effects of crop establishment techniques on weeds and rice yield

Field and pot studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of seven rice establishment techniques {puddling transplanting (PT), no tillage transplanting (NTT), puddling drum wet seeding (PDWS), no tillage drum wet seeding (NTDWS), conventional tillage dry drilling (CTDD), furrow irrigated raised beds system dry drilling (FIRBSDD), and no-tillage dry-drilling (NTDD)} and water submergence stress on weeds and rice yield. The highest yield and least weed abundance were in the PT treatment. The direct seeded rice (DSR), both dry and wet exhibited severe weed infestation, and compared to transplanting showed reduced yield both in the presence and absence of weeds. The yield losses due to weeds in the DSR treatments ranged from 91.4 to 99.0%, compared to 16.0 and 42.0% in the transplanting treatments (PT and NTT). Weeds, including Cyperus rotundus L., Dactyloctenium aegyptium (L.) Willd., Digera arvensis Forsk., Phyllanthus niruri L., and Trianthema portulacastrum L. which were found in the un-puddled DSR treatments were absent in the puddled plots, particularly the PT treatments. In pot studies, continuous water-submergence (2.5 cm) for 20 days reduced the emergence of C. rotundus, D. aegyptium, T. portulacastrum, and Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. by 99.4, 100, 100, and 24.4%, respectively, compared to alternate wetting–drying. In farmer's field studies, when compared to the PT treatments, the DSR treatments exhibited lower yields (15.8%) with coarse varieties (HKR-47 & IR-64), but fine cultivars (Sharbati & PB-1) exhibited similar yields under both systems. In view of the shortage of labour for manual transplanting, there is a need to develop suitable cultivars for aerobic system conditions (unpuddled DSR and NT machine-transplanting).     

Puddling, irrigation, and transplanting-time effects on productivity of rice–wheat system on a sandy loam soil of Punjab, India

Rice–wheat productivity in irrigated tract of the Indo-Gangetic plains is constrained by water and energy limitations. In order to minimize unproductive soil water evaporation and percolation loss at a field scale, management practices include soil puddling, water-economizing irrigation schedule, and matching growth cycle with periods of low evaporative demand. This 3-year field study examines combined effects of these options on rice–wheat productivity and water-use efficiency (WUE) and energy-use efficiency (EUE) on a sandy loam soil in an irrigated semi-arid sub-tropical environment. Treatments included combinations of three puddling intensities, viz., one (P₁), two (P₂), and four (P₄) runs of a tine cultivator in ponded water after a common pre-puddling tillage; with two irrigation regimes, viz., continuous submergence (I₁) throughout the growing season, and intermittent submergence (I₂) with continuous submergence for 2 weeks after transplanting followed by 2-day interval between successive irrigations, and two transplanting dates, viz., first fortnight of June (D₁) and end June (D₂) to impose variation in seasonal evaporative demand. Residual effect of puddling in rice on succeeding wheat was also evaluated during the 3 years.

Intensive puddling and water-economizing schedule caused a significant reduction in seasonal percolation loss primarily due to puddling-induced changes in soil bulk density and hydraulic behavior. Increasing puddling intensity from P₁ to P₂ enhanced mean rice yield by 0.2–0.3 Mg ha⁻¹, but additional puddling did not improve yield significantly. Mean grain yield increase with I₁ over I₂ ranged between 0.3 and 0.6 Mg ha⁻¹. Interaction effect between puddling and irrigation indicate that yield benefit with I₁ over I₂ was greatest in P₁ regime (0.6 Mg ha⁻¹), and the effect decreased with increase in puddling intensity. Delayed transplanting caused a decline of 0.3–0.5 Mg ha⁻¹ in rice yield. Although maximum yield was realized with combination of P₂ or P₄ regime with I₁ regime, but water-use efficiency was greater with I₂ compared to I₁ regime by 1.1 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ in 2000 and by 0.3 kg ha⁻¹ mm⁻¹ in 2001. It indicates that yield gain with additional irrigation were not commensurate with additional water input. Energy analysis also showed that energy-use efficiency was 6.8, 7.2, and 6.6 kg kWh⁻¹ for P₁, P₂, and P₄ regimes suggesting that yield gain with P₄ did not match energy input for additional puddling. Further, there was a greater risk of yield reduction of succeeding wheat with P₄ (by 0.2–0.3 Mg ha⁻¹) compared to P₁ or P₂ regime.     

Influence of puddling procedures on the quality of rice paddy drainage water

Drainage water quality in rice paddies was strongly influenced by the puddling of soil in the paddy fields by tractors and in response to opening of drainage gates. The concentrations of contaminants in drainage water increased rapidly when the puddling process began and were maintained at high concentrations throughout the puddling period. Moreover, the high concentrations did not decrease immediately after the puddling procedures ceased. Additionally, the ratio of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorous to total nitrogen and total phosphorous increased daily during the last half of the puddling period, due to discharge of chemical fertilizers with the drainage water. Also, the loads of particulate nitrogen and phosphorus discharged during the puddling period were larger than the loads discharge during irrigation. The discharge from paddy fields during puddling also increased the total annual contaminant load.     

Biology and management of Phalaris minor in rice–wheat system

Phalaris minor Retz. (Littleseed canarygrass) is a pernicious weed, which infests several crops during the winter season, particularly the wheat crops in rice–wheat sequence. Considering the limitations of cultural and chemical methods of weed control, the understanding of its biology with respect to different environmental, edaphic and management factors may offer a useful key to strengthen weed management strategies. This review considers various aspects on dormancy, viability and agro-ecology with emphasis on management practices in host and succeeding crops. Due attention has been given to the approaches required to manage the resistant biotypes under present conditions and hence to avoid further escalation of the epidemic. The various studies indicate that P. minor utilizes beneficially the prevailing environmental and management conditions of both the wheat and succeeding rice crop in rice–wheat system for its survival and growth. Its seed is highly sensitive to variable moisture and temperature regimes for germination and exhibits tolerance to anoxia during anaerobic respiration in rice. Tillage options, residue management, spatial–temporal considerations and other factors influence the seed dynamics, pattern and depth of emergence and growth of P. minor. A comprehensive and conceptual understanding of these aspects may provide useful guidelines in formulating cautious and opportunistic weed management strategies.     

模拟搅浆对水稻土结构和有机氮矿化的影响

搅浆(Puddling)是传统水稻种植过程中的重要环节,搅浆会改变土壤结构,进而影响氮转化过程。通过室内模拟试验,设置不搅动(CK)、低强度搅动(LIS)和高强度搅动(HIS)三个处理,研究搅浆引起的土壤结构变化,及其对土壤有机氮矿化的影响。首先利用湿筛法测定不同处理团聚体分布及稳定性,采用CT扫描和图像分析方法研究不同处理土壤孔隙结构,并通过室内培养法测定土壤有机氮矿化量,进一步分析土壤结构与有机氮矿化之间的关系。结果显示,与CK相比,LIS和HIS两处理中大于1 mm的水稳性团聚体含量和平均重量直径(MWD)均显著降低,LIS和HIS处理间无显著差异。CK、LIS和HIS的土壤孔隙度分别为3.3%、3.2%和3.3%,各处理间无显著差异;但三个处理的土壤孔隙形态有明显差异,CK大孔隙分布较多且连通性好,LIS和HIS处理孔隙多为球状孔隙,连通性较差。矿化培养第一周,LIS和HIS处理矿化量均快速增加,高于CK处理;但是培养2周后CK矿化氮高于搅动处理,培养试验结束时(4周)CK累积矿化氮量(N28)和氮矿化潜势(N0)显著高于LIS和HIS处理,说明搅拌降低了有机氮的累积矿化量。相关分析表明,土壤有机氮矿化与粒径大于0.25 mm的团聚体含量和当量直径为30～100μm的孔隙数量具有显著正相关关系,其内在机制尚待进一步研究。     

Effect of puddling intensity on temporal variation in soil physical conditions and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in a Vertisol of central India

Puddling as well as no-puddling for growing transplanted and direct seeded rice, respectively, have their disadvantages as well as advantages on the physical condition of the soil and yield of rice. The soil that is more susceptible to changes in structure is easy to puddle. However, what should be the extent of puddling is not well established. Generally, farmers have a tendency to create a very fine puddle that actually may not be required. Keeping in view the current global emphasis on conservation of resources as well as reduction of the production cost to improve the economic gain of farmers, this study attempted to find out the influence of varying intensities of puddling on the soil physical condition and rice yield (cv. IR 36) in a Vertisol of central India. The study was conducted over two cropping seasons during year 2000 and 2001. Three puddling intensities i.e. no-puddling (P₀), and puddling by four (P₁) and eight (P₂) passes of a 5 hp power tiller were evaluated.

The aggregate mean weight diameter (AMWD) of soil (0–15 cm depth) for P₀ remained almost unchanged till harvest. At 15 days after puddling, AMWD in P₁ and P₂ compared to P₀ was less by 45 and 59% in the first year and by 60 and 69% in the second year, respectively. These values at harvest changed to 22 and 46% in the year 2000 and 28 and 43% in the year 2001, respectively. Soil bulk density (BD) and penetration resistance (PR) increased significantly from transplanting to harvest in puddled soil, but in unpuddled soil significant increase in PR only at the surface 0–7 cm layer was observed. Higher intensity of puddling favoured more soil wetness at harvest, as the puddled soil maintained 25% more water than P₀. Compared to P₁, P₂ showed an increase of 4.3, 10.3 and 7.7% in length, width and depth of cracks, respectively, while the increase in P₁ over P₀ in the same order was 35, 23.5 and 13.3%, respectively. Thus, crack dimensions (length, width and depth) were larger under high intensity of puddling. Water loss through seepage plus percolation was significantly higher in P₀ as compared to P₁ and P₂ and the higher intensity of puddling reduced the losses more. The grain yield of P₂ was slightly higher than P₁ but both were significantly above P₀. Higher grain yield resulted in 46 and 49% more water use efficiency under P₁ and P₂ than P₀, respectively. This 2-year study has shown that puddling beyond P₁ i.e., four passes of a 5 hp power tiller may not be required to obtain higher yield or other benefits in Vertisols having similar hydrology to that reported here. Puddling only to the required level will also deteriorate less the soil physical condition as compared to more intense puddling. The unpuddled direct seeded rice maintained the soil in a better physical condition but the yield was significantly lower in relation to the puddled ones.