Impact of crop residue management practices on yield and nutrient uptake in rice-wheat system

Effects of three crop residue management practices (crop residue incorporation, residue burning and residue removal) with two levels of nitrogen (100 and 150 kg N ha⁻¹) and three levels of potassium (0, 30 and 60 kg K2O ha⁻¹) fertilization on nutrient uptake and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L. emend. Fiori and Paol.) system was studied at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand. Incorporation of crop residue resulted in higher uptake of nitrogen (123.6 kg ha⁻¹) and potassium (179.5 kg ha⁻¹) in rice crop over the other treatments. In case of wheat, N and K uptakes were 11.7% and 7.9% higher with the incorporation of residue than with residue removal. But the response was at par with the burning of residues in both crops. Nitrogen @ 150 kg ha⁻¹ resulted into higher nitrogen uptake (20%), potassium uptake (9.11%) and crop yields of rice (6.4%) and wheat (13.7%) over 100 kg N ha⁻¹. Potassium @ 60 kg K2O ha⁻¹ resulted into significantly higher nitrogen uptake (6%), potassium uptake (8.3%) and rice yield (3.2%) as compared to control. Application of potassium (60 kg ha⁻¹) increased K uptake and yields of both the crops with respect to 30 kg K2O ha⁻¹ application.