Impact of Cropping System and Planting Techniques On Soil Properties and Wheat Productivity Under Rainfed Condition

Mung bean-Wheat cropping system and zero tillage planting techniques had differentially affected soil properties and wheat productivity under arid and semiarid conditions. The investigation was conducted over a continuous duration of two years (2019-20 and 2020-21) at Cereal Crops Research Institute (CCRI), Pirsabak to evaluate the impact of diverse tillage methods on physicochemical properties of soil and yield of wheat yield cultivated in a mung-wheat crop rotation system. Two cropping systems (viz. mung bean-wheat and fallow-wheat) and three tillage practices (viz. zero tillage, wide beds and conventional tillage) were used in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split plot arrangement. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were applied at the recommended doses of 120, 90, 60 kg ha-1, respectively, in all tillage treatments. Results showed that mung-wheat cropping system was more productive than fallow-wheat, with higher organic matter (0.87%), soil organic carbon (6.60 g kg-1), total N (0.41 mg kg-1) and microbial biomass carbon (191.44 mg kg-1). Zero tillage was the most productive planting method, resulting in the highest count of of productive tillers (285 m-2), thousand grain weight of 41.2 g and grain yield of 3157 kg ha-1. Moreover, zero tillage in mung-wheat cropping system was also the most profitable, with a benefit cost ratio of 2.49. We concluded from our study that zero tillage in mung-wheat cropping system is recommended in rainfed agro ecological conditions and is suitable for low-income farmers.