Studies on Conservation Tillage Moisture Conservation Practices Cover Crop and Strip Inter Cropping of Pigeonpea Maize for Sustainable Production

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at MARS, University of Agricultural newlineSciences, Dharwad, Karnataka during kharif 2016-17 and 2017-18 to evaluate different newlineconservation tillage, moisture conservation practices, cover crop and strip intercropping newlineof pigeonpea+maize on crop productivity, system profitability and soil properties in newlinemaize and pigeonpea cropping systems. The experiment was laid out in strip split block newlinedesign consisting of six tillage practices in main plot, three cropping systems in sub-plot newlineand cover crop in sub-sub plots replicated thrice. Conservation tillage with BBF and newlinepartial incorporation of crop residues and conservation tillage with flatbed partial newlineincorporation of crop residues produced significantly higher maize equivalent yield newline(7171 and 7029 kg ha-1, respectively), net returns ( 61089 and 59641 ha-1 newline, newlinerespectively) and BC ratio (2.32 and 2.30, respectively). Sole pigeonpea cropping newlinesystem was found superior over sole maize and pigeonpea+maize strip intercropping newlineand recorded higher maize equivalent yield (7109 kg ha-1), net returns ( .58576 ha-1) newlineBC ratio (2.32). Among cover crop management without cover crop recorded higher newlinemaize equivalent yield and net returns (7126 kg ha-1 and .59979 kg ha-1, respectively) newlineas compared to with cover crop (6532 kg ha-1 and . 48795 kg ha-1, respectively). newlineConservation tillage with BBF and partial incorporation of crop residues recorded newlinesignificantly lower bulk density (1.22 g cc-1), higher aggregate stability (56.60 %), total newlineporosity (54.17 %), infiltration rate (1.70 mm hr-1) and energy use efficiency (6.11 MJ). newlineConservation tillage with BBF and incorporation of crop residues noticed increase in newlinesoil organic carbon (13.56 %) available nitrogen (6.19 %), phosphorus (12.89 %) and newlinepotassium (7.31 %) over conventional tillage without crop residues. Conservation newlinetillage with BBF and partial incorporation of crop residues recorded significantly higher newlinesoil urease, dehydrogenase and phosphatase activity (13.95 µg NH4-N g-1 day-1, 34.01 newlineµg TPF g-1 day-1 and 186.25 µg PNP g-1 hr-1, respectively). newline