Effect of nutrient management and irrigation scheduling on crop and water productivity of rice wheat cropping system

Abstract

newline The field experiment was conducted at Water Management Farm of CSK Himachal Pradesh newlineKrishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur during kharif 2018 to rabi 2019-20 to evaluate the effect newlineof irrigation scheduling and nutrient management practices on crop and water productivity newlineand soil health parameters in direct seeded rice-wheat cropping sequence. The soil of the newlineexperimental field was silty clay loam in texture, acidic in reaction, medium in organic newlinecarbon, medium in available nitrogen and potassium and high in phosphorus content. The newlineexperiment was laid out in split plot design with three irrigation schedules {irrigation at newlinecritical stages (I1), 0.6 CPE (wheat)/ 0.8 (rice) CPE (I2) and 1.0 CPE (I3)} in main plot and newlinefour nutrient management practices {inorganic nutrient management (F1), organic nutrient newlinemanagement (F2), natural farming management (F3), integrated nutrient management (F4)} in newlinesubplots, replicated thrice. Better root growth, higher yield attributes, crop and water newlineproductivity, nutrient uptake and net returns in rice were obtained when the crop was irrigated newlineat critical stages and integrated nutrient management practice was used. Whereas for wheat newlinecrop, irrigation scheduled at 1.0 CPE and integrated nutrient management was found best for newlineall the parameters. The flowering and maturity got delayed under natural farming whereas newlinelesser number of days was taken for these phenophases when integrated nutrient management newlinepractice was followed. Higher iron, zinc and protein content in rice and protein content in newlinewheat were recorded under integrated nutrient management. Crop quality parameters amylose newlinein rice and gluten in wheat with lower values were better under natural farming practice. newlineHigher soil pH, water holding capacity and lower bulk density was observed under integrated newlinenutrient management. All the other nutrient management practices except inorganic nutrient newlinemanagement practice recorded a buildup of available nutrient content at the end of 2 year newlinecropping system. Thus for higher crop and water productivity, crop quality and better soil newlinehealth under direct seeded rice-wheat cropping sequence, the rice crop should be irrigated at newlinecritical stages whereas wheat should be irrigated at 1.0 CPE schedule; and in both crops, the newlineintegrated nutrient management practice should be followed.