Improved Soil Physical Properties, Yield and Water Productivity under Controlled Traffic, Raised-Bed Farming

Abstract

Excessive irrigation application and intensive tillage is the norm on Pakistani farms, which exacerbate water logging and salinity and reduce the water productivity of major crops. Addressing these issues, a long term experiment (2000 to 2009) under wheat-maize (9 seasons each) cropping pattern was conducted on raised beds (with furrow spacing of 65 cm (Narrow Bed-NB), 130 cm (Medium Bed-MB) and 180 cm (Wide Bed-WB)), with controlled traffic regime emplaced, in comparison with traditional intensive cultivated flat basin (FB) for evaluating impacts on soil, crop and water productivity. The results showed reduced bulk density by 7%, 6% and 5% and increased hydraulic conductivity by 90%, 106% and 72% for WB, MB and NB respectively, when compared with FB. The irrigation water saving was 36%, 40% on WB, 34%, 31% on MB and 7%, 8% on NB, for wheat and maize crops respectively, when compared with FB. The crop yields were higher by 14%, 25% on WB, 12%, 10% on MB and 3%, 13% on NB, respectively, compared with FB. Consequently, the water productivity was also increased by 43%, 71% on WB, 30%, 30% on MB and 4%, 18% on NB for wheat and maize crops respectively. This study have shown the prospects of improved soil physical properties and water productivity by adopting controlled traffic raised bed farming (CTRBF) system, which may be helpful for agriculture sustainability and food security.

Saline Soil Management to Improve its Fertility and Productivity by some Agricultural Practices Application

“…The chemical properties of this soil were improved by using this practice, which the soil salinity reduced more than 50% approximately, especially for Cland Na + in the root zone of maize under raised bed system, led to increase of availability nutrients to crops and nutritional balances. Akbar et al (2016) showed the prospects of improved soil physical properties and water productivity by adopting controlled traffic raised bed farming (CTRBF) system, which may be helpful for agriculture sustainability and food security. Recently, EL Azab and Mahmoud (2017) indicated that the raised bed system application is the candidate strategy for reduction of salt stress in root zone at a newly reclaimed soil, which the faba bean plants were able to complete its life cycle despite high soil salinity, as consequence to realize good manage for salt accumulation under raised bed condition.…”

Assessing water productivity and energy use for irrigating rice in Pakistan

“…For instance, the potential yield of basmati rice in Pakistan is 5.2 t ha‾¹, but the present national yield is approximately 1.6 t ha‾¹; thus, there is a yield gap of 3.6 t ha‾¹ (Aslam et al, 2002). The reasons for the low yield are generally attributed to the availability issues of site-specific high-yielding rice varieties, input mismanagement, low soil fertility and inappropriate field management practices (Akbar et al, 2016).…”

Permanent Bed Width Has Little Effect on Crop Yield under Rainfed and Irrigated Conditions across Central Mexico

“…However, during the autumn-winter cycle, the availability of water depends almost exclusively on irrigation. Under these conditions, there is less infiltration and availability of water in wide beds, because the center of the bed is not wetted completely due to a lower lateral flow and the lower amount of water applied, so the crop rows in the center of the bed do not receive the required amount of water [2,28,30]. This could explain the trend towards lower yield of wheat on wide permanent beds in Irapuato I and Pénjamo.…”