Abstract:
Over-exploitation of conventional farming emerged as the prime cause of concern for soil sickness, resulting in stagnation in system productivity. Concurrently, adverse environmental impacts at the event of farm resource manipulation could not be ruled out to impede global food security. What farmers are not aware of is inevitable depletion of soil health, especially en mass destruction of beneficial micro- flora and fauna in addition to alarming contribution of C- footprint to the Global Warming Potential (GWP). Therefore, this paramount issue may call for a paradigm shift from conventional agriculture to Conservation Agriculture (CA) to the future commitment of sustainable food and nutrition security vis-a-vis environmental safety in global perspective. Thus, a better understanding of these cognitive issues prompted us to explore two improperly followed practices, soil tillage and crop residue management under the aegis of ‘Conservation Agriculture’ (CA) in wheat - maize system, the predominant cereal-based cropping patterns. The study derived phenomenal achievement with Zero Tillage (ZT) followed by Minimum Tillage (MT); although, in compliance with consequential impacts of crop residue retention (+R); while, eventuality of stubble burning practice (- R) impacted sever deterioration in soil health, especially in Conventional Tillage (CT).
Results illustrated significantly higher grain yields of wheat (5.64 - 5.78 t ha-1) and maize (6.52-6.74 t ha-1) at (ZT + R) stands across the year than those (5.24-5.25 t ha-1 and 5.75-5.76 t ha-1) at conventional stand (CT-R). Even (MT + R) stands also produced significantly higher grain yields of wheat (5.59-5.70 t ha-1) and maize (6.29-6.40 t ha-1) followed by those (5.30-5.33 t ha-1) and (6.29-6.40 t ha-1) at (CT + R) stands than (CT - R) stands. Consequently, progressive enhancement of system productivity (11.60 - 12.0 t ha-1) in terms of wheat equivalent yield (WEY) was spectacular at (ZT+R) stands, significantly higher than those (10.52 - 10.59 t ha-1) at (CT-R) stands, followed by those (11.34-11.64 t ha-1) at (MT + R) and also those (10.63-10.78 t ha-1) at (CT+R) stands. Rhizosphere development was also improvised at (ZT + R) stands accounting significantly higher root mass density and volume density (14.5 mg cm-3 and 6.7 x 10-3 cm3 cm -3) in wheat and (19.45 mg cm-3 and 10.5 x 10-3 cm3 cm -3) in maize respectively than those (5.0 and 8.85 x 10-3 cm3 cm -3) at (CT -R) stands. Soil health improvement was also significantly pronounced more at (ZT + R) stands accounting 39.45% soil porosity, 7.64 pH, 0.370 dS m-1 electrical conductivity (EC), 10.56 mm h-1 hydraulic conductivity (HC), 0.458% soil organic carbon (SOC), and 272.5, 18.36 and 254.8 kg ha-1 N, P and K than at conventional (CT -R) stands as compared with initial soil status, respectively. Therefore, aiming at our modest endeavor developing a viable cutting-edge technology for mitigating soil sickness could envisage the stewardship of zero tillage along with crop residues to achieve soil health improvement fostering sustainable maize and wheat production in system perspective mode.