TITLE:
Effect of Tillage and Residue Retention on Soil Properties and Crop Yields in Wheat-Mungbean-Rice Crop Rotation under Subtropical Humid Climate
AUTHORS:
Nazmus Salahin, Khairul Alam, Abu Taher Mohammad Anwarul Islam Mondol, Mahammad Shariful Islam, Md. Harunur Rashid, Muhammad Azizal Hoque
KEYWORDS:
Cropping System, Residue Retention, Soil Moisture, Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), Tillage Practices
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Soil Science,
Vol.7 No.1,
January
13,
2017
ABSTRACT: The effects of conservation agriculture (CA) practices on soil properties along with crop yields of rice-based triple cropping systems have not been adequately assessed in Bangladesh. An experiment was conducted at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh from 2009 to 2012 to assess the effects of tillage practices and crop residue retention on soil physical properties, soil organic carbon (SOC) and crop yields in a wheat-mungbean-rice system. Treatments consisted of three tillage practices (MT: minimum tillage; CT: conventional tillage and DT: deep tillage) and eight levels of crop residue management (S0—no residues retention, Sr—retention of 30 cm rice straw, Sm—whole mungbean stover retention, SW—30 cm wheat straw retention, Smr—whole mungbean stover & 30 cm rice straw retention, Srw—30 cm rice & wheat straw retention, Smw—whole mungbean stover & 30 cm wheat straw retention and Swrm—30 cm wheat and rice straw along with whole mungbean stover retention) were applied in split plot design with three replications. Bulk density (BD) and porosity responded positively to MT and increased residue retention of all crops (p > 0.05). Minimum tillage and Swrm also significantly accumulated SOC (p