Evaluation of different tillage interventions under rice-wheat system in a vertisol

In the extensive rice-wheat system of India, harvesting is done mostly by combines, and the paddy residues after harvesting are normally burnt, followed by irrigating the field and intensive tillage prior to sowing of next crop wheat. While in-field, retention of previous crop residues plays an important role, such as it reduces soil erosion from water and wind and increases soil organic carbon. To avoid burning of crop residues ‘Happy Seeder’ was developed by PAU, Ludhiana. It greatly reduces fuel consumption, crop cost establishment and the ability to sow the seed as desired after harvesting, thereby ensuring the possibility of sowing at the optimum time and reducing the irrigation needs. In the present work, five common methods (treatments) were selected for sowing of wheat, which is T₁-No-tillage + Happy Seeder, T₂-No-tillage + Zero till seed drill, T₃-Reduced tillage (disc harrow with one pass) + zero till seed drill, T₄-1 × Cultivator + 2 × Disc harrow + Conventional seed-cum-fertilizer drill, T₅-2 × Cultivator + 2 × Disc harrow + Raised bed seed drill. With the use of Happy Seeder, sufficient tillage operation time was saved because the machine is used directly after harvesting of paddy field. The highest effective field capacity was found in T₅ with 0.48 ha/h, highest field efficiency and seed emergence in T₄ with 70.2% & 85.7%, respectively. Maximum grain yield was found in T₁ with 42.4 q/ha and minimum in T₂ with 37.8 q/ha. Plant population and highest weed density was found in T₄ with 143 plants/m² and 67, 69, 75 numbers/m² at 30, 60 and 90 days. The weed count increased with days due to variation in degree of soil manipulation.