Effect of tillage methods on soil physical properties and water expense of rice on an Acidic Alfisol

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted on a silty clay loam soil during 1983 and 1984 to study the effect of different simulated tillage practices, such as deep digging (upto 0.30 m) and puddling (DP), conventional cultivation (digging upto 0.15 m) and compaction (CC), conventional cultivation and puddling (CP), conventional cultivation without puddling (CN) and zero tillage (ZT) on growth and yield of rice. The soil of the experimental site is classified as a Typic Hapludalf, having large and fairly stable structural aggregates. TheCC in comparison to CP treatment reduced volume of transmission pores by 83 per cent, decreased per colation losses by 3D percent and produced 15 per cent higher grain yield of rice. The DP treatment was at par with the CC treatment in respect of grain yield and the former brought down mean weight diameter of aggregates, proportion of transmission pores and percolation losses compared with the CP treatment. The CC and DP treatments were observed to be at par and significantly superior to the remaining treatments in respect of root growth and N uptake at different growth stages of rice. The treatments of CN and ZT were at par with respect to grain yield and did not show any beneficial effect over CP treatment. The water expense was the lowest under CC, the next higher for the treatments of DP, CP and the highest under the treatments of CN and ZT.