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Effects of Mulching Previous Crops or Fallow on Dryland Maize and Wheat

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2008

S. S. Prihar ,
Ranjodh Singh ,
Nathu Singh  and
K. S. Sandhu
S. S. Prihar
Affiliation:
Department of Soils, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India
Ranjodh Singh
Affiliation:
Department of Soils, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India
Nathu Singh
Affiliation:
Department of Soils, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India
K. S. Sandhu
Affiliation:
Department of Soils, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India
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Summary

In dryland areas, where rains recede much earlier than the time of sowing of crops, moisture in the seed zone becomes limiting for stand establishment. Mulches are known to conserve moisture in the upper soil layers, so we studied the effect of mulching a standing maize or fallow on the yield of the maize and on following wheat. Mulching maize with green twigs of ‘basooti’ a few weeks before harvest increased its yield by 16%. Both in maize and on fallow mulching increased water storage, particularly in the upper soil layers, and increased wheat yields from 19.0 to 22.5 q/ha after maize and 29.1 to 33.3 q/ha after fallow. It also led to increased water use and water use efficiency of wheat.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 15 , Issue 2 , April 1979 , pp. 129 - 134
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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References

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