Journal Article

Influence of paddy straw mulch on crop productivity and economics of bed and flat sown wheat (Triticum aestivum) under different irrigation schedules

Mahal, S.S., kaur, J.

2017

Overview

Extensive cultivation of paddy and burning of paddy straw by farmers in north-western India has led to a serious problem of decreased underground water table along with degradation of soil health and environmental pollution. The utilization of paddy straw as mulch in wheat crop can be a good option to solve these problems. So, a field experimentwas conducted with the objective to study the influence of paddy straw mulch on productivity and economics of bed and flat sown wheat crop under different irrigation schedules. Treatments comprised of combination of two sowing methods i.e., bed sowing and conventional flat sowing and three mulch levels viz., no mulch, paddy straw mulch @ 3000 kg ha\"1 and paddy straw mulch @ 6000 kg ha\"1 in main plots and three irrigation schedules viz., 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 irrigation water/cumulative pan evaporation (IW/CPE) in sub-plots and conducted in split-plot design with three replications at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during winter season of 2013-14 and 201415. The growth parameters were recorded periodically at 30 day interval and yield attributes and yield were recorded at harvest. The net returns were calculated by subtracting the total variable cost from gross returns. Both the sowing methods did not significantly influence the growth, yield attributes, yield and gross and net returns. Mulch application @ 6000 kg ha\"1 significantly increased the plant height (88.3 cm), number of spikes (358.7 m\"2) and spike length (10.1 cm) and as a result achieved highest biological (12800 kg ha1) and grain yield (5380 kg ha\"1) and net returns (? 62763.5 ha\"1) than mulch @ 3000 kg ha\"1 and no mulch. Among the irrigation schedules, significantly higher biological (12480 kg ha\"1) and grain yield (5250 kg ha1) was registered under irrigation schedule of 1.0 IW/CPE ratio, might be due to significantly more number of spikes (347.0 m\"2), grains spike\"1 (49.4), grain weight spike\"1 (1.85 g) and 1000-grain weight (38.5 g) which led to significantly higher net returns (? 62817.0 ha\"1) as compared with 0.8 and 0.6 IW/CPE ratio. Productivity and economics were found to be higher under mulch application @ 6000 kg ha\"1 and irrigation schedule of 1.0 IW/CPE ratio in wheat crop.

• Publisher: Triveni Enterprises
• Subject: Cereal crops / Crop production / Crop yield / Economics / Environmental science / Evaporation / Grain / Irrigation water / Pan evaporation / Soil degradation / Straw / Triticum aestivum / Water table / Wheat