Enhancing Soil Health and Productivity of Maize – Wheat Cropping System with Balanced Nutrients Application through Target Yield Approach under Different Tillage Practices

A study was carried out during kharif and rabi seasons of 2013-14 and 2014-15 at Agricultural Research Station, Bheemarayanagudi to study about enhancing soil health and productivity of maize – wheat cropping system with balanced nutrients application through target yield approach under different tillage Practices. The results indicated that the growth and yield parameters of maize and wheat at harvest did not influence due to tillage practices. All these yield parameters were relatively higher in zero tillage with mulch @ 5 t ha-1 when compared to conventional tillage. Grain and stover yield of maize did not differ significantly due to different tillage management practices. But, zero tillage with mulch @ 5 t ha-1 produced relatively higher yield (65.9 q ha-1) than the zero tillage (64.3 q ha-1) followed by conventional tillage (55.8 q ha-1). The higher organic carbon and soil microflora at different stages were noticed with zero tillage with mulch@ 5 t ha-1. The higher available NPK and their uptake by maize crop were also recorded in zero tillage with mulch @ 5 t ha-1 followed by zero tillage compared to conventional tillage and zero tillage. The lower available NPK and their uptake by maize crop were recorded in conventional tillage and RDF. Further, due to nutrient management practices, the yield parameters of maize differed significantly. Target yield of 10 t ha-1 exhibited significantly higher growth and yield attributes at harvest when compared to other treatments except targeted yield of 8 t ha-1 and 150% RDF. The lowest values of these attributes were recorded in farmer’s practice of nutrient management followed by RDF. The grain yield and stover yield (69.9 q ha-1and 89.5 q ha-1, respectively) of maize was significantly higher with targeted yield of 10 t ha-1 followed by targeted yield of 8 t ha-1 and 150% RDF. The lowest grain and stover yield (53.6 q ha-1 and 74.3 q ha-1, respectively) was recorded in farmers practice followed by RDF. Significantly higher soil microflora, available NPK and their uptake by the maize crop was noticed in target yield of 10 t ha-1 followed by targeted yield of 8 t ha-1 and 150 % RDF as compared to other treatments. The lowest soil microflora, available NPK and their uptake by the maize was recorded in farmers practice followed by RDF. Non significant differences for grain and stover yield of maize was recorded due to interaction of tillage and nutrient management practices. Similar trend was also followed due to interaction of tillage and nutrient management practices for succeeding wheat. The yield and yield parameters of wheat did not differ due to tillage practices and target yield approaches followed for maize. Maize equivalent yield of wheat and system productivity were followed same trend as that of maize yield. Among different tillage practices, zero tillage (Rs. 78,181 ha-1 and 2.19) and zero tillage with mulch @ 5 t ha-1 (Rs. 80,272 ha-1 and 2.18) were recorded maximum net returns and higher BC ratio respectively. Similarly among different nutrient management practices, the target yield of 10 t ha-1 (Rs. 85,105 and 2.18) followed by targeted yield of 8 t ha-1 (Rs. 80,565 and 2.17) were recorded maximum net returns and higher BC ratio respectively as compare to other treatments.