Effect of Crop Residue With and Without a Culture of Cellulolytic Fungi on Yield, NPK Uptake and Soil Fertility Under Rice-Wheat Cropping System

The field experiments were carried out at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during three crop cycles from 1996-97 to 1998-99 to study the effect of incorporation of wheat and rice residues with and without a culture of cellulolytic fungi Trichrus spiralis on grain and straw yields and NPK uptake of rice-wheat cropping system and organic C, available P and available K content of soil. Incorporation of residue of wheat, rice or both had no significant effect on individual grain and straw yields and N and P uptake of rice and wheat, but significantly increased total grain and straw yields and N and P uptake of rice-wheat cropping system. Cellulolytic culture had no additional advantage over crop residues. Incorporation of residue of wheat, rice or both significantly increased K uptake of both rice and wheat as this practice resulted in recycling of 90% of total K uptake by rice and wheat crops. Incorporation of crop residue also resulted in building up of organic C, available P and available K content in soil.