Effect of tillage and crop establishment methods on productivity, profitability and quality of rice under rice-wheat cropping system

Abstract

Rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) had played a great role in the food security of India. A field experiment on sandy clay loam soil was conducted during kharif and rabi seasons of 2011 at the Agriculture Research Farm, Institute of Agriculture Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (UP) to study the effect of tillage and crop establishment methods on productivity, profitability and quality of rice under rice-wheat cropping system. The experiment was conducted in strip-plot design with four crop establishment methods (Direct seedling by zero till drill, direct seedling of sprouted seeds by drum seeder, hand transplanting and mechanical transplanting by self propelled transplanter) in rice as horizontal strip and four tillage methods in wheat as vertical strips. Highest value of B: C ratio, grain protein content and nutrient uptake were obtained with mechanical transplanting but it was found at par with hand transplanting. Highest plant height, dry matter, grain yield and net return were recorded with hand transplanting which was found at par with mechanical transplanting, so this treatment could be an efficient alternative method to produce high yield and income as compare to hand transplanting, particularly under labour constrained conditions.