Effect of Crop Residues Management on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity of Rice-wheat System in Inceptisols of Seemanchal Region of Bihar

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Katihar, Bihar in jurisdiction of Bihar Agricultural University Sabour, Bhagalpur during 2014 to 2018 with the objective to find out suitable crop residue management option under rice- wheat cropping system in Inceptisols of Seemanchal area of Bihar. The results after four years clearly indicates that the crop residue management practices involving incorporation of residues improved favorably and significantly the soil properties such as bulk density, infiltration rate, mean weight diameter, aggregate stability, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, bacterial and fungal population, enzyme dehydrogenase and phosphatase activity in the soil and increased the grain yields of rice and wheat crop in the system over removal or burning of crop residue practices. Due to increased availability of readily decomposable organic matter in the form of crop residue and freshly incorporated green manure, the microbial population increased dramatically when crop residues are incorporated in the soil which might be responsible for increased enzyme phosphatase and dehydrogenase activity, decrease in bulk density, increase in granulation and aggregation and thus infiltration rate. The incorporation of crop residues with or without green manuring found promising for the environmental friendly and effective utilization of the crop residues under prevailing rice wheat system in this area.

Long-Term Impact of Different Straw Management Practices on Carbon Fractions and Biological Properties under Rice–Wheat System

“…The increase in these properties might be attributed to a lower concentration of soil organic carbon, abundant in ZT soils that helped various microorganisms to proliferate. Moreover, the cellulose and hemicellulose components of the crop residues function as substrate food material for a specific group(s) of heterotrophic microbes, thereby directly providing nutrients [47]. In the present study, the fungal genera flourished in the ZT treatments, because ZT may tend to add crop residue through retention and involve the root exudates as the substrates, which provides an organic matter for the fungi [48].…”

Soil Properties and Weed Dynamics in Wheat as Affected by Rice Residue Management in the Rice–Wheat Cropping System in South Asia: A Review

“…The retention and incorporation of residue has been reported to increase water-stable aggregates by 15.65% and 7.53% in the 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil layers, respectively [ 32 ]. Different soil hydro-physical properties such as infiltration, evaporation, bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, and porosity are modified by the presence of crop residue ( Table 4 [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 ]). The application of crop residues was found to improve soil porosity by 30% [ 37 ] and aggregate stability by 15.2–21.0% [ 33 , 38 ], thereby facilitating better gas exchange, water transport, and soil organic carbon decomposition rates [ 39 ].…”

“…However, there was an increase in plant height by 8–11.8% with residue retention as compared to residue removal under field studies [ 45 ]. Non-decomposed residue with a high C:N ratio may adversely affect seed germination and plant growth [ 34 ]. However, residues have shown a yield-enhancing effect after decomposition, and an increase in wheat productivity to the tune of 14.8–18.6% was witnessed with crop residue retention as compared to residue burned or removed [ 111 ].…”

Incorporation of Crop Residues into Soil: A Practice to Improve Soil Chemical Properties

“…The findings of our experiment are in conformity to those of Azmal et al [37] who observed an increase in soil chemical composition after incorporation of rice straw. Singh et al [38] noted an important increase in organic matter, organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus when incorporating rice and wheat crop residues in soil than burning them.…”