RICE RESIDUE IMPROVES SOIL HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY - PAU STUDY

LUDHIANA, MAY 30:-----



Aiming at improving soil health and crop productivity, there is a need for retaining rice residues in-situ by surface mulching or by incorporating it in soil, said PAU agronomists namely Dr Amandeep Singh Brar and Dr U.S. Walia. The research carried out by the scientists on "Influence of rice residue management techniques on physical properties of soil and root density of wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.)" observes that residues can be used for improving soil health and productivity in the long run as the rice –wheat is the most predominant cropping system of India. They added that wheat straw is not surplus as it is use as dry fodder for animals, whereas, rice straw (residues) is very low profile dry fodder for cattle and becomes surplus in the fields. Rice straw is a potent source of organic carbon and plant nutrients for improving soil organic matter dynamics, nutrient cycling and soil physical environment. The incorporation of residues is not popular amongst the farmers because of the various problems such as requirement of heavy machinery, problem of seed placement, nutrient immobilization, variable plant population, increased number of pests, etc.

An experiment was conducted by PAU experts at the experimental farm of the Department of Agronomy during the rabi season. The varsity scientists stated "zero tillage is commonly advocated as a preferred practice to conventional tillage as it results in minimum compaction and improves natural structural formation. Zero tillage by retaining crop residues on soil surface or incorporation of residues can improve soil physical properties."

The research findings by agricultural scientists reveal that in rice residue incorporation, lower bulk density and soil strength were observed in the surface layer due to pulverization caused by tillage and addition of organic matter as a result of which higher water infiltration at initial stages and higher root density in upper layers were also observed under this treatment. It means incorporation of rice residue improves soil physical conditions. Dr Brar and Dr Walia elaborated and told that however, in lower layers, values of bulk density and soil strength were higher and water infiltration and root density were lower in rice residue incorporation treatment than with or without rice residue treatments under zero till conditions due to compaction created by traffic farm machinery. The study highlights that where more farm machinery is used to prepare fields, deep ploughing should be done after few years to break the compact layer beneath the plough layer. Increase in load of surface application of rice residue from 5-7 ton per hectare improved the soil physical properties.
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