Effect of Residue Management Practices and Fertilizer Levels on Growth, Yield Attributes and Yield of Wheat in Rice-Wheat Cropping System

Afield investigation w as carried out at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Damla, Yamunanagar of CCS HAU , Hisar (Haryana) during Rabi, 2019-20. The experiment was conducted in split-plot design having six residue management practices in main plots (C₀ R₁ T₃: Combine harvesting of paddy without SMS + burning of crop residues + wheat sowing by conventional tillage method; C₀ R₂ T₁: Combine harvesting without SMS + residue shredding with mulcher + happy seeder sowing; C₀ R₂ T₀: Combine harvesting without SMS + happy seeder sowing; C₁ R₂ T₀: Combine harvesting with SMS + happy seeder sowing; C₀ R₂ T₂: Combine harvesting without SMS + residue shredding with straw chopper + happy seeder sowing and; C₂ R₀ T₃: Manual harvesting + residue removal + wheat sowing by conventional tillage method) and three fertilizer levels (75, 100 and 125% of recommended dose of fertilizer-RDF) in sub-plots. Among the residue management practices, the plant growth parameters, yield attributes and grain yield were the highest in C₀ R₂ T₁ which was statistically similar to other treatments with retention of paddy residue on soil surface (C₀ R₂ T₀, C₁ R₂ T₀ and C₀ R₂ T₂) but significantly higher than either burning (C₀ R₁ T₃) or removal of paddy residue (C₂ R₀ T₃). Fertilizer level with 125% RDF significantly improved the plant growth parameters, yield attributes and yield over other fertilizer levels. The interactive effects revealed that grain yield of wheat under treatments of residue retention on soil surface resulted in significantly higher grain yield at 125% RDF but in other treatments increase in fertilizer level from 100 to 125% RDF did not cause significant improvement in grain yield of wheat.