Effects of date of sowing and tillage on yield and water use efficiency of crops grown and residual soil moisture in eastern India

Authors

  • P.B. Chakraborty Department of Agricultural Engineering, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswa Vidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia W.B., India
  • B.N. Mittra Department of Agricultural Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur - 721 302, W.B., India

Keywords:

Residual soil moisture, Winter crops· Conventional tillage, Strip-ploughing, Sowing date, Soil moisture utilization, Water use efficiency

Abstract

Yield and water use efficiency (WUE) of winter crops after rice are influenced greatly by sowing date and tillage method. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.), lentil (Lens esculenta Moench), and mustard (Brassica campestris L.) were sown on residual soil moisture, using conventional tillage and strip-ploughing. Sowing dates were at nine-day intervals starting from the date of harvest of the wet-season rice. Delay in sowing of these crops influenced soil moisture utilization thereby affecting crop yields and WUE. The WUE of the crops was the highest when they were sown on the date of harvest of the wet-season rice after strip-ploughing. Chick pea had the highest WUE of the four winter crops.

Downloads

Issue

Volume 71 Number 3

Section

Research Notes