Effect of crop establishment methods and weed management practices on productivity, soil properties and economics of wheat under rice – wheat cropping system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Crop Research Centre of Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar continuous two years to study the productivity, soil properties, and economics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different wheat establishment methods i.e. Zero tillage (sowing with zero till ferti-seed drill), Reduced tillage (3 harrowing fb planking) and Conventional tillage (6-7 harrowing fb planking) in main plots and seven weed management practices (i.) Isoproturon 1.0 kg ha^-1 at 30 DAS (ii.) Clodinafop – propargyl 60 g ha^-1 at 30 DAS (iii). Metsulfuron methyl 4 g ha^-1 at 30 DAS (iv) Isoproturon 1.0 kg ha^-1 + Metsulfuron methyl 4 g ha^-1 at 30 DAS (v) Clodinafop – Propargyl 60 g ha^-1 at 30 DAS fb. Metsulfuron methyl 4 g ha^-1 at 37 DAS  (vi) Hand weedings at 30 & 50 DAS (vii). Weedy (control) in sub plots, replicated thrice in a split plot design. Zero tilled wheat exhibited more number of spikes m^-2 and more number of grains per spike was significantly higher under zero tillage than reduced and conventional tillage during both the years. The grain weight per year was 8.97 and 7.26 per cent higher under zero tillage than that of reduced and conventional tillage during first year and 13.89 and 13.10 per cent during second year.  The zero tilled wheat yielded 12.35 and 3.66 per cent higher over reduced and conventional tillage during Ist year and 11.99 and 3.09 per cent during IInd year. The straw yield was higher under zero tillage and increase of 9.7 and 9.95 per cent over reduced tillage and 2.52 and 2.69 per cent over conventional tillage during Ist year and IInd year, respectively. The bulk density of soil was higher under zero tillage than that of reduced and conventional tillage. The infiltration rate was significantly greater with ZT than RT and CT. Two hand weedings exhibited significantly higher number of grains per spike than Isoproturon 1.0 kg ha^-1 + Metsulfuron methyl 4 g ha^-1 at 30 DAS and Clodinafop – Propargyl 60 g ha^-1 at 30 DAS fb. Metsulfuron methyl 4 g ha^-1 at 37 DAS, but in case of number of spikes and 1000-grain weight, two hand weedings did not prove superior to both of herbicidal treatments except that of 1000-grain weight during first year. The highest grain yield was obtained in two hand weedings done at 30 and 60 DAS and was at par with Isoproturon 1.0 kg ha^-1 + Metsulfuron methyl 4 g ha^-1 at 30 DAS and Clodinafop – Propargyl 60 g ha^-1 at 30 DAS fb. Metsulfuron methyl 4 g ha^-1 at 37 DAS. Uncontrolled weeds on an average caused 62.0 and 65.7 per cent reduction in the yield during Ist year and IInd year, respectively as compared to crop given two hand weedings at 30 and 50 DAS. The bulk density of the soil was not affected by different weed management practices in wheat.