A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of crop residues and tillage practices on BNF, WUE and yield of mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) under semi arid rainfed conditions at the Livestock Research Station, Surezai, Peshawar in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan. The experiment comprised of two tillage i) conventional tillage (T1) and ii) no-tillage (T0) and two residues i) wheat crop residues retained (+) and ii) wheat crop residues removed (-) treatments. Basal doses of N @ 20: P @ 60 kg ha -1 were applied to mungbean at sowing time in the form of urea and single super phosphate respectively. Labelled urea having 5% 15 N atom excess was applied @ 20 kg N ha -1 as aqueous solution in micro plots (1m 2 ) in each treatment plot to assess BNF by mungbean. Similarly, maize and sorghum were grown as reference crops and were fertilized with 15 N labelled urea as aqueous solution having 1% 15 N atom excess @ 90 kg N ha -1 . The results obtained showed that mungbean yield (grain/straw) and WUE were improved in notillage treatment as compared to tillage treatment. Maximum mungbean grain yield (1224 kg ha -1 ) and WUE (6.61kg ha -1 mm -1 ) were obtained in no-tillage (+ residues) treatment. The N concentration in mungbean straw and grain was not significantly influenced by tillage or crop residue treatments. The amount of fertilizer-N taken up by straw and grain of mungbean was higher under no-tillage with residues-retained treatment but the differences were not significant. The major proportion of N (60.03 to 76.51%) was derived by mungbean crop from atmospheric N2 fixation, the remaining (19.6 to 35.91%) was taken up from the soil and a small proportion (3.89 to 5.89%) was derived from the applied fertilizer in different treatments. The maximum amount of N fixed by mungbean (82.59 kg ha -1 ) was derived in no-tillage with wheat residue-retained treatment. By using sorghum as reference crop, the biological nitrogen fixed by mungbean ranged from 37.00 to 82.59 kg ha -1 whereas with maize as a reference crop, it ranged from 34.74 to 70.78 kg ha -1 under different treatments. In comparison, non-fixing (reference) crops of sorghum and maize derived upto 16.6 and 15.5% of their nitrogen from the labelled fertilizer, respectively. These results suggested that crop productivity, BNF and WUE in the rainfed environment can be improved with minimum tillage and crop residues retention.
Crop productivity, soil organic carbon (SOC), fertilizer nitrogen and water use efficiency (WUE) in rainfed dry area is influenced by tillage, rotation and crop residues management.Field experiments were conducted during 2004-09 to study the effect of tillage, rotation and crop residues on wheat yield, nitrogen fertilizer and water use efficiency and SOC under semi-arid condition in north-west Pakistan.The treatments consisted of three rotations: i) Wheat-fallow-wheat (farmers' practice) ii) Wheat-summer legume-wheat and iii) Wheat-summer cereal-wheat with two tillage and crop residues management treatments: i) Tillage (crop residues removed) and Tillage (crop residues retained) and ii) No-tillage (crop residues removed) and No-tillage (crop residues retained).Basal doses of N 60 : P 60 (kg ha -1 ) to wheat, N 90 : P 60 and N 20 : P 60 (kg ha -1 ) to summer cereals and legumes rotation crops were applied respectively.Labeled urea having 1% 15 N atom excess at 60 kg N ha -1 was applied to wheat as an aqueous solution in micro plot within each treatment plot.Changes in soil water storage were monitored with neutron moisture probe for calculation of WUE.The results revealed that the wheat grain and straw yield was not increased by the tillage treatment.Crop residues retention significantly enhanced the wheat grain and straw yield.Crop residues with no-tillage resulted in 520 kg ha -1 greater wheat grain yield than residues removed treatment.Similarly WUE, N yield and fertilizer N utilization by wheat was increased significantly by crop residues under no-tillage compared to the tillage treatment.Maximum N fertilizer utilization 24.1 %, 62.7 % and 38.0 % in wheat were obtained under no-tillage + residues treatment during 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively.The SOC in surface soil (0-15 cm) was higher in wheat-fallow-wheat and wheat-legume-wheat rotation under no-tillage + residues treatment.The results showed that no-tillage + crop residues and legume based rotation treatment were beneficial under the rainfed (dry) conditions.
Effects of organic manure (poultry manure) applied alone and integrated with inorganic fertilizer (urea) on yield and yield component, N-uptake and soil fertility in wheatmaize cropping system was evaluated in a field experiment at Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan. Poultry manure was applied alone and were integrated in different proportions with mineral nitrogenous fertilizer to supply 120 kg.ha -1 N. The organic fertilizers were applied at sowing time and mineral fertilizer was applied in three splits, sowing, tillering and booting stages. The experiment was laid out according to RCBD with 6 treatments and 4 replications. The plot size was 4m x 3.5 m with twelve rows of wheat. Nitrogen was applied at the rate of 120 kg.ha -1 to wheat from organic and Chemical N sources i.e poultry manure (PM) and urea applied alone and in combination recommended rates of P and K at the rate of 75 and 60 kg.ha 1 respectively, were applied in the form of single super phosphate and potassium sulphate as basal application to all treatments at sowing time. The results showed that integrated use in different proportion increased the biological yield, grain yield, grain per spike, 1000-grain weight, and over control. After crop harvest soil was analyzed for total N, organic matter and available P and was found higher in treatments where poultry manure was applied alone and in integration with chemical N. Application of poultry manure proved beneficial and improved yield and improve soil fertility.
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