Effect of soil water conservation practices on root growth, yield, nutrient removal and quality of pea and tomato crops

Field studies were conducted during 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99 on gravely sandy loam soil, to study the effect of different soil water conservation practices on root growth, yield, nutrient removal and quality of pea and tomato crops. Root growth parameters viz., root mass density (RMD), root volume (RV) and root length density (RLD), recorded at flowering stage and at crop harvest in pea and tomato crops, were found maximum under conventional tillage with straw mulch and manual weeding (C+SM+MW) treatment (T5) as compared to conventional tillage (C) treatment (T1). The C+SM+MW treatment produced maximum yield of green pods and straw in pea and fruit and straw in tomato crop. Maximum macronutrient element (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S) removal by pea (pods and straw) and tomato (fruit and straw) crops were also recorded in T5 (C+SM+MW) treatment, as compared to T1 (C) treatment. Quality characteristics of pea and tomato crops were also found better under T5 treatment, as compared to T1 treatment.