Influence
of paddy straw mulch on crop productivity and
economics
of bed and flat sown wheat (Triticum aestivum)
under
different irrigation schedules
J.
Kaur* and S. S. Mahal
Department of
Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana-141 004, India
*Corresponding
Author E-mail: jagroopsekhon@pau.edu
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Key
words
Crop productivity,
Irrigation schedules,
Paddy straw,
Sowing methods,
Wheat
Publication Data
Paper
received : 21.10.2015
Revised
received : 29.01.2016
Re-revised
received : 21.05.2016
Accepted : 09.06.2016
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Abstract
Aim: 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 experiment was 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.
?
Methodology:
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 2014-15. 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.
Results:
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 ha-1) 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 ha-1) 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. ?
Interpretation:
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.
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