Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Nitrogen Effects on Productivity and Soil Properties in Conventional and Zero Tilled Wheat with Different Residue Management

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, India Section B: Biological Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Changes in tillage regime from conventional tillage to zero tillage (ZT) call for efficient weed and N management. Nitrogen is subject to immobilization/mineralization under residue-laden ZT system and increasing N-use efficiency through scheduling/rationalization of N is a researchable issue. The authors investigated the N and weed management options for wheat under ZT with or without residue. Results showed that ZT + residue retention (R) + 75% N + GreenSeeker™ (GS)-aided N management (ZT + R+75N + GS) recorded significantly higher wheat yield (5.11 t ha−1) over CT − R + 100N (4.48 t ha−1). The ZT + R+75N + GS improved macro-aggregates by 25.3% and decreased micro-aggregates by 6.8% in surface soil than CT − R + 100N. Treatment ZT + R+75N + GS had highest labile C (~ 3.63 g C kg−1 soil), which was 24.7% higher than CT − R + 100N (2.91 g C kg−1 soil). This treatment resulted in highest microbial biomass C (148.6 µg g−1 soil). It showed a significant increment in fluorescein diacetate (by 30.9%), total phosphatase (by 63.2%) and urease (by 31.6%) activities in surface soil over CT − R + 100N. Optical sensor-based N management saved N to the tune of 15–20 kg ha−1 over CT − R + 100 N. The ZT with residue retention and GS-aided N management has greater potential to secure sustainable yield, better soil aggregation, labile C and soil micro-flora than CT without/with residue incorporation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Das TK, Bhattacharyya R, Sudhishri S, Sharma AR, Saharawat YS, Bandyopadhyay KK, Sepat S, Bana RS, Aggarwal P, Sharma RK, Bhatia A, Singh G, Kar A, Singh B, Singh P, Pathak H, Vyas AK, Jat ML (2014) Conservation agriculture in an irrigated cotton–wheat system of the western Indo-Gangetic Plains: crop and water productivity and economic profitability. Field Crop Res 158:24–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Ladha JK, Hill JE, Duxbury JD, Gupta RK, Buresh RJ (2003) Improving the productivity and sustainability of rice–wheat systems: issues and impact. American Society of Agronomy Special Publication 65. ASA, CSSA, SSSA, Madison, WI, USA, p 211

  3. Das TK, Bhattacharyya R, Sharma AR, Das S, Saad AA, Pathak H (2013) Impacts of conservation agriculture on total soil organic carbon retention potential under an irrigated agro-ecosystem of the western Indo-Gangetic Plains. Eur J Agron 51:34–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Bhattacharyya R, Pandey SC, Bisht JK, Bhatt JC, Gupta HS, Tuti MD, Mahanta D, Mina BL, Singh RD, Chandra S, Srivastva AK, Kundu S (2013) Tillage and irrigation effects on soil aggregation and carbon pools in the Indian sub-Himalayas. Agron J 105:101–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Six J, Paustian K, Elliott ET, Combrink C (2000) Soil structure and organic matter: distribution of aggregate-size classes and aggregate-associated carbon. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:681–689

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. DAC Ministry of Agriculture: Government of India (2011) Methods manual soil testing in India. http://agricoop.nic.in/dacdivision/mmsoil280311.pdf

  7. Johnson GV, Raun WR (2003) Nitrogen response index as a guide to fertilizer management. J Plant Nutr 26:249–262. doi:10.1081/PLN-120017134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Raun WR, Solie JB, Johnson GV, Stone ML, Mullen RW, Freeman KW, Thomason WE, Lukina EV (2002) Improving nitrogen use efficiency in cereal grain production with optical sensing and variable rate application. Agron J 94:815–820

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Watson DJ (1958) The dependence of net assimilation rate on leaf area index. Ann Bot Lond 22:37–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Elliott ET, Cambardella CA (1991) Physical separation of soil organic matter. Agric Ecosyst Environ 34:407–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Van Bavel C (1950) Mean weight-diameter of soil aggregates as a statistical index of aggregation. Soil Sci Soc Am J 14(C):20–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Subbiah BV, Asija GL (1956) A rapid procedure for the estimation of available nitrogen in soils. Curr Sci 25:259–260

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Olsen BC, Cole CV, Watenabe FS, Dean LA (1954) Estimation of available phosphorus by extraction with sodium carbonate, USDA Circ. No. 939, p 19

  14. Walkley AJ, Black CA (1934) Estimation of soil organic carbon by the chromic acid titration method. Soil Sci 37:29–38

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Hesse PR (2002) A text book of soil chemical analysis. CBS Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  16. Chan KY, Bowman A, Oates A (2001) Oxidizable organic carbon fractions and soil quality changes in an oxic paleustalf under different pasture leys. Soil Sci 166:61–67

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Martin JP (1950) Use of acid, rose bengal, and streptomycin in the plate method for measuring soil fungi. Soil Sci 69:215

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Allen ON (1953) Experiments in soil bacteriology, 2nd edn. Burges Pub. Co, Minneapolis, p 127

    Google Scholar 

  19. SubbaRao NS (1977) Soil microorganism and plant growth. Oxford and IBH Publishing House, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  20. Vance ED, Brookes PC, Jenkinson DS (1987) An extraction method for measuring soil microbial biomass carbon. Soil Biol Biochem 19:703–704

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Banerjee A, Sanyal S, Sen S (2012) Soil phosphatase activity of agricultural land: a possible index of soil fertility. Agric Sci Res J 2:412–419

    Google Scholar 

  22. Bhattacharyya R, Tuti MD, Bisht JK, Bhatt JC, Gupta HS (2012) Conservation tillage and fertilization impacts on soil aggregation and carbon pools in the Indian Himalayas under an irrigated rice–wheat rotation. Soil Sci 177:218–228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Tripathy R, Singh AK (2004) Effect of water and nitrogen management on aggregate size and carbon enrichment of soil in rice–wheat cropping system. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 167:216–228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Nath CP, Das TK, Rana KS, Pathak H, Bhattacharyya R, Paul S, Meena MC (2017) Greenhouse gases emission, soil organic carbon and wheat yield as affected by tillage systems and nitrogen management practices. Greenhouse gases emission, soil organic carbon and wheat yield as affected by tillage systems and nitrogen management practices. Arch Agron Soil Sci 63:1644–1660. doi:10.1080/03650340.2017.1300657

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Ghosh PK, Hazra KK, Venkatesh MS, Singh KK, Kumar N, Mathur RS (2016) Potential of crop residue and fertilizer on enrichment of carbon pools in upland soils of subtropical india. Agric Res 5:261–268

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Liu E, Teclemariam SG, Yan C, Yu J, Gu R, Liu S, Liu Q (2014) Long-term effects of no-tillage management practice on soil organic carbon and its fractions in the northern China. Geoderma 213:379–384

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Nath CP, Das TK, Rana KS, Bhattacharyya R, Pathak H, Paul S, Meena MC, Singh SB (2017) Weed and nitrogen management effects on weed infestation and crop productivity of wheat–mungbean sequence in conventional and conservation tillage practices. Agric Res 6:33–46

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support received from the different Divisions of the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi for successful conduct of this research work during the Ph.D. programme. The financial support from ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute and Department of Scientist and Technology (DST), Govt. of India is gratefully acknowledged. There is no conflict of interest regarding the manuscript findings.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Crop Production, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, 208 024, India

    Chaitanya Prasad Nath & Kali Krishna Hazra

  2. Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    Tapas Kumar Das

  3. Centre for Environment Science and Climate Resilient Agriculture, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    Ranjan Bhattacharyya & Himanshu Pathak

  4. Division of Microbiology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    Sangeeta Paul

  5. Division of Agricultural Physics, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    Debashis Chakraborty

Authors
  1. Chaitanya Prasad Nath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tapas Kumar Das
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ranjan Bhattacharyya
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Himanshu Pathak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sangeeta Paul
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Debashis Chakraborty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Kali Krishna Hazra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chaitanya Prasad Nath.

Additional information

Significance statement

Conventional tillage deteriorated the soil health in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. Zero tillage with crop residue retention can restore soil health by enhancing soil physical and biological properties and carbon stock. Sequential herbicides for effective weed management and optical sensor-based nitrogen application can sustain yield.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nath, C.P., Das, T.K., Bhattacharyya, R. et al. Nitrogen Effects on Productivity and Soil Properties in Conventional and Zero Tilled Wheat with Different Residue Management. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 89, 123–135 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-017-0919-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-017-0919-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation