Effects of Conservation Tillage and Nutrient Management Practices on Soil Fertility and Productivity of Rice ( Oryza sativa L.)–Rice System in North Eastern Region of India

Gulab Singh Yadav, Rahul Datta, Shamina Imran Pathan, Rattan Lal, Ram Swaroop Meena, Subhash Babu, Anup Das, S. N. Bhowmik, Mrinmoy Datta, Poulami Saha and Pawan Kumar Mishra
Additional contact information
Gulab Singh Yadav: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Tripura Centre, Tripura 799210, India
Rahul Datta: Department of Geology and Pedology, Mendel University, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic
Shamina Imran Pathan: Department of Agricultural Sciences, Mediterranean University of Reggio, 89124 Reggio Calabria RC, Italy
Rattan Lal: Ohio State University, Carbon Management and Sequestration Centre, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Ram Swaroop Meena: Ohio State University, Carbon Management and Sequestration Centre, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
Subhash Babu: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya 793103, India
Anup Das: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya 793103, India
S. N. Bhowmik: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Tripura Centre, Tripura 799210, India
Mrinmoy Datta: College of Agriculture, Tripura University, Tripura 799022, India
Poulami Saha: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Tripura Centre, Tripura 799210, India
Pawan Kumar Mishra: Department of Wood Processing, Mendel University, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic

Sustainability, 2017, vol. 9, issue 10, 1-17

Abstract: Over centuries and even today, traditional farming practices are well performed without any ecological degradation. However, management practice such as conservative tillage combined with nutrient and residue could increase the crop production as well as soil fertility. A three-year replicated study was conducted to assess the effects of agronomic modification of traditional farming practices on productivity and sustainability of rice (wet season)–rice (dry season) system (RRS). The replacement of farmers practice (T 2 ) with conservation effective tillage (no-till (NT)) and integrated nutrient management (INM) practice along with 30% residue retention (T 5 ) enhanced the straw, root and biomass yield of both wet season rice (WR), dry season rice (DR) and system as a whole over T 2 . Treatment T 5 recorded significantly lower soil bulk density (ρ b ) and higher pH than the T 2 after three years of the experiment. Further, treatment T 5 increased total soil organic carbon (2.8%), total soil organic carbon stock (2.8%), carbon sequestration rate (336.5 kg ha −1 year −1 ), cumulative carbon stock (142.9%) and carbon retention efficiency (141.0%) over T 2 of 0–20 cm depth after three year. The soil microbial biomass carbon concentration was significantly the highest under T 5 . Similarly, the dehydrogenase activity was the maximum under T 5 . Adoption of conservation tillage and nutrient management practice involving NT and INM along with residue retention can enhance the system productivity, and C and N sequestration in paddy soils is thereby contributing to the sustainability of the RRS.

Keywords: soil carbon sequestration; rice–rice cropping system; system productivity; conservation tillage; soil quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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