Zero tillage in Wheat

Zero tillage in Wheat

1. Master’s Seminar on Zero tillage in Wheat Course Code: AGRN-780 Submitted by- Ashish Id. No. : 16MSAGRO015 M.Sc.(Ag) Agronomy – 1 s t Semester Department of Agronomy, SHIATS 1

2. Zero tillage : A profitable resource saving technology in India 2

3. INTRODUCTION Zero tillage is also called as no till. Zero tillage is an extreme form of minimum tillage. Primary tillage is completely avoided and secondary tillage is restricted to seedbed preparation in the row zone only. In zero tillage, herbicide functions are extended. Before sowing, the vegetation present has to be destroyed for which broad spectrum, nonselective herbicides with relatively short residual effect (Paraquat, Glyphosate etc.,) are used. 3

4. MEANING OF ZERO TILLAGE No-till farming  (also called  zero tillage  or  direct drilling ) is a way of growing crops or pasture from year to year without disturbing the soil through tillage. No-till is an agricultural technique which increases the amount of water that infiltrates into the soil and increases organic matter retention and cycling of nutrients in the soil.  4

5. ORIGIN OF ZERO-TILLAGE FOR MODERN FARMS The idea of modern no-till farming started in the 1940s with  Edward H. Faulkner . No-till farming is widely used in the United States and the number of acres managed in this way continues to grow. This growth is supported by a decrease in costs related to tillage; no-till management results in fewer passes with equipment for approximately equal harvests, and the crop residue prevents evaporation of rainfall and increases water infiltration into the soil. 5

6. Ensure that standing stubble is not longer than 15 cm. Calibrate the zero till machine before planting so that proper amount of seed and fertilizer is placed in the field. Seed depth should be kept at 5 cm. Use of granular fertilizers so that pipes of the ZT machine are not choked. Apply first irrigation after 15-20 days of sowing. Use flat fan nozzle for spraying herbicides. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION FOR ZERO TILLAGE 6

7. Earthworms form burrows which can enhance gas exchange and improve water infiltration rates 2-10 times in soils. Stabilizes soil aggregates, improves soil structure and limits erosion. Increase in the extent and density of plant roots. Breakdown of organic matter. USE OF EARTHWORMS IN ZERO - TILLAGE FARMING 7

8. EFFECTS OF ZERO TILLAGE Conservation of resources 1. Decreased soil erosion 2. Reduced surface runoff 3. Greater infiltration 4. Increase the potential for ground water Reduction in tillage cost Early sowing Reduction in machine use Saving irrigation 8

9. 9 Less weed problem due to less soil disturbance Control of erosion Improved soil health Retention of residues provide a food source to beneficial insect, earthworms and predators Reduce pollution Higher grain yield High soil moisture content due to both improved soil structure and the decrease in evaporation due to the crop residue mulch.

10. WHY ZERO TILLAGE…. Zero tillage will be useful concept where : Conventional tillage has not yield more.  Requirement of energy too high.  Requirement of labour too high. In medium to fine textured soils, use of heavy implements can result in formation of hard puncturing wet conditions. 10

11. ADVANTAGES OF ZERO TILLAGE Reduces labor, saves time. Saves fuel. Reduces machinery wear. Improves soil tilth. Increases organic matter. Traps soil moisture to improve water availability. Reduces soil erosion. Improves water quality. 11

12. COMPARISON BETWEEN CONVENTIONAL AND ZERO TILLAGE SYSTEM 12

13. Issues Conventional tillage Zero tillage Erosion Maximum Less Soil physical health Increase compaction due to heavy traffic, formation of plough pan. Reduced compaction due to reduced traffic. Soil biological health Lower due to frequent disturbance. More diverse and healthy biological properties and populations. Water infiltration and soil organic matter Lower after soil pores are clogged. Reduced soil organic matter. More water infiltration and more soil organic matter build-up in the surface layers. 13

14. Issues Conventional tillage Zero tillage Weeds Controls weeds and also causes more weed seeds to germinate. Weeds are a problem especially in the early stages of adoption, but problems are reduced with time. Soil temperature More variable. Moderated. Diesel use and costs High and high costs operations. Much reduced and lowest costs operations. Yield Can be lower where planting delayed. Yield is same or higher if planting done more timely. . 14

15. Ali Imran at al, 2013 Variety Zero Tillage Conventional Tillage Deep tillage No. of spikelets per spike Punjab-11 Millat-11 18.67 16.29 17.90 16.74 17.86 16.58 No. of grains per spike Punjab-11 Millat-11 55.10 50.73 51.03 49.98 53.94 52.04 1000-grain weight (g) Punjab-11 Millat-11 51.23 49.45 45.73 43.18 47.93 46.04 Grain Yield (t ha-1) Punjab-11 Millat-11 5.20 4.54 4.76 4.30 4.71 4.26 Straw Yield (t ha-1) Punjab-11 Millat-11 14.13 12.45 12.40 12.36 12.62 12.06 Table 1. Response of different morphological attributes of wheat to different tillage practices

16. Table 2. Major farm inputs used in wheat production in Haryana Particulars Conventional tillage Zero tillage Change (%) Human labour (human days/ha) 54.9 51.2 -6.68 Machine labour (hours/ha) 9.6 5.2 -46.30 Seeds (kg/ha) 112 108 -3.73 Irrigation water (m3/ha) 1581.7 1302.5 -17.65 16 Tripathi et al. (2013)

17. Table 3. Yield, cost and return in CT and ZT methods of wheat production in Haryana Particulars Conventional Tillage Zero Tillage Change (%) Yield (t/ha) 5.37 5.47 1.86 Operational Cost (Rs/ha ) 29935 26124 -12.73 Gross Income (Rs/ha ) 59070 60181 1.88 Net Income (Rs/ha ) 29135 34057 16.89 Cost of Grain Production (Rs./ha ) 5.57 4.78 -14.34 Tripathi et al. (2013) 17

18. CONCLUSION Zero tillage means the crop production system, where the soil is left undisturbed from harvest to planting, except for nutrient injection and planting or drilling is accomplished in a narrow seed bed. Weed control is accomplished primarily with herbicides glyphosate. 18

19. REFERENCE Imran . A., J.Shafi , N. Akbar, W. Ahmad, M. Ali, S. Tariq (2013), Response of Wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) Cultivars to Different Tillage Practices Grown under Rice-wheat Cropping System, Universal Journal of Plant Science 1 (4): 125-131. Malik , R. K., Ashok Yadav , R. S. Banga and Samar Singh (2000). Zero-till wheat sowing and alternate herbicides against resistant Phalaris minor in Rice-Wheat Cropping System. Indian J. Weed Scie . 32 (3 &4) : 220-222 Singh Papu, Sweta Singh, B. R. Singh (2012), Performance of Zero-Till Drill for Wheat Cultivation at Farmer’s Fields , International Journal of Science and Research 3 :358. Tripathi R.S., Raju R. and Thimmappa K. (2013) Impact of Zero Tillage on Economics of Wheat Production in Haryana, Agricultural Economics Research Review 26 (1): 101-108. . 19

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