Influence of legume residues management and nitrogen doses on succeeding wheat yield and soil properties in Indo-Gangetic Plains

A field experiment was conducted in a mungbean/urdbean-wheat cropping system for two consecutive years (2004–06) to assess the effect of different methods of legume residues management along with fertilizer N on succeeding wheat yield and soil properties. Despite environmental aberrations as a result of abrupt increase in air temperature during reproductive stages causing relatively lower yields during second year (2005–06), the extent of wheat yield reduction was less evident in residues incorporated plots over that in control. Grain yield of wheat was increased by 12.7–38.0% with incorporation of legume residues over the control during both the years. There was significant improvement in the number of panicles per unit area with different residues management (10.2–20.9%) over residues removal. Irrigating plots after incorporation of chopped residues increased soil microbial biomass carbon by 156% over control. Direct incorporation of urdbean residues raised soil organic carbon by 35.5% over control. Residues incorporation also led to higher soil available major nutrients viz., N by 24.6%, P by 11.5% and K by 18.5% over initial levels. Soil physical properties such as bulk density, particle density, percent pore space and water holding capacity (WHC) were also improved in residues incorporated plots over residues removal plots. Application of 120 kg N/ha to wheat improved different soil properties besides increased wheat yield (by 8%).