Effect of irrigation and nitrogen management on performance and nitrogen removal under different tillage systems of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The stagnation of productivity growth in the rice-wheat systems of the Indo-Gangetic Plains in South Asia has led to increased calls for technologies based on conservation agriculture. Therefore, the present study was carried out to investigate performance and nitrogen removal as affected by irrigation and nitrogen management under different tillage systems in wheat. From the results, zero tillage with rice straw mulching produced similar grain yield to that of conventional tillage. Zero tillage with mulching showed the yield stability. From growth point of view, zero tillage with mulch method gave highest growth and yield contributing trait where first irrigation at 20 days after sowing and others at IW/CPE = 0.9 was produced maximum grain yield in both conventional as well as zero tillage. Zero tillage recorded significantly lower N uptake by crop than conventional tillage and zero tillage with mulch during both the years. At 150 kg N/ha maximum grain yield of wheat was recorded both in conventional tillage as well as zero tillage system.