Tillage and mulch effects on soil physical environment, root growth, nutrient uptake and yield of maize and wheat on an Alfisol in north-west India

Field experiments were conducted for 6 years on a silty clay loam to study the effect of soil management on soil physical properties, root growth, nutrient uptake and yield of rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in a sequence. Treatments were: no-tillage (NT), NT+pine needle mulch at a rate of 10 t ha⁻¹ (NT+M), conventional tillage (CT), CT+pine needle mulch at a rate of 10 t ha⁻¹ (CT+M) and deep tillage (DT). The soil is classified as a Typic Hapludalf and has compact sub-surface layers. The NT treatment increased the bulk density of the surface layer but this problem was not observed in the no-tilled treatment having mulch at the surface (NT+M). The CT+M and NT+M treatments favourably moderated the hydro-theregime resulting in greater root growth, nutrient uptake and grain yields of maize and wheat. The DT treatment, imposed only once, at the beginning of the study, also enhanced root growth and grain yields. The yields were similar to the mulched treatments for maize and somewhat less than the mulched treatments for wheat. Mulched treatments generally showed significantly greater total uptake of N, P and K than corresponding unmulched ones. Since NT+M was comparable to CT for maize and superior for wheat, the latter is preferable since it does not require ellaborate tillage.