Determination of agro-management practices for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) sown in rice-wheat cropping system.

Most of the farmers of irrigated areas cultivate their fields with traditional tillage practices which increase the cost of production as well as delaying sowing which has adverse effects on crop growth and yield.In addition towards tillage, straw managing is a key factor for better crop growth and yield.Two field trials were conducted to estimate the “Crop residual management techniques with different tillage practices in a rice-wheat cropping system” at the Post Graduate Agricultural Research Station (PARS), University of Agriculture, Faisalabad during 2007-08 and 2008-09. Both the experiments were laid out on a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split plot arrangement using four replications, in a net plot size of 10 m x 20 m. In the first experiment three tillage systems (conventional tillage, minimum tillage and zero tillage) were used in sub plots and straw management (removal of rice straw and burning of rice straw) in main plot was applied.Tillage systems significantly influenced soil physical properties, growth and yield characteristics as well as wheat yield.Reducing tillage improved soil structure and increased soil bulk density which led to higher crop yield. Happy seeder plots produced higher yield and yield components in comparison with other tillage systems. Wheat yield with happy seeder plots were 18% and 15 % higher than minimum and conventionally tilled plots respectively.Generally, differences between removal of rice straw and burning of rice straw were more pronounced; removal of rice straw had positive influence on growth, yield components, yield and grain quality. Increased grain weight per spike, 1000-grain weight and grain yield were recorded with burning of rice straw. Wheat yield with removal of rice straw was 17.5% and 14.55% higher than burning of rice straw respectively.The happy seeder yield was 5.2 t/ ha-1 which was higher in comparison with other tillage practices. Zero tillage showed positive association with protein contents but negative association with carbohydrate contents. Zero tillage was found best among all other tillage practices in rice-wheat cropping system of Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan.