Mechanization practices in Rice-wheat cropping systems in Upper Gangetic Plains in India

Abstract

A three year field study was conducted on crop establishment and tillage options in rice-wheat cropping systems in sub-tropical India at Project Directorate for Cropping Systems Research, Modipuram, Meerut, U.P., (India) from 1999 to 2002. The treatment included three crop establishment practices (direct seeding, manual transplanting and mechanical transplanting by selfpropelled rice transplanter) as the main plot in rice and three tillage levels (conventional, zero and strip) as the sub plot in wheat; replicated thrice. The highest mean grain yield of rice (6.11 Mg/ha) was obtained in mechanically transplanting that was, respectively, 27.3 and 50 percent higher than manual transplanting and direct seeding. In wheat, the highest mean yield (5.90 Mg/ha) was recorded under conventional sowing that was, respectively, 11.3 and 6.3 percent higher than zero and strip till drilling. The lowest mean weed dry weight (0.24 Mg/ha) was recorded under mechanical transplanting in rice and conventional tillage (0.19 Mg/ ha) in wheat. The greater root density in terms of root dry weight (7.5 gm /20 cm row length) was recorded in conventional tillage and the lowest root dry weight (5.8 gm / 20 cm row length) was obtained in zero tillage during 2000-01.The specific energy (392 kcal/ ha) and benefit cost ratio maximum (3.25) in mechanical transplanting followed by manual translating and direct seeding of rice. In wheat, the zero till drilling required minimum specific energy (471 kcal/kg) followed by strip- till drilling (694 kcal/kg) and conventional sowing (501 kcal/kg). Soil physical parameters showed that infiltration rate and moisture content were significantly affected by both crop establishment and tillage practices, whereas bulk density was influenced by tillage practices during the three years. Significantly higher infiltration rate (1.50 cm/h) and moisture content (13.10 %) were recorded in direct seeding (puddled) adopted in the preceding rice crop, whereas lowest values of infiltration rate (0.69 cm/h) and moisture content (9.50 %) were obtained in zero tillage. The results show that mechanical transplanting by a self propelled rice transplanter in rice followed by strip till drilling (reduced tillage) in wheat resulted in higher productivity, profitability and energy saving in rice-wheat systems in India.