Soil Moisture Conservation, Hydrothermal Regime, Nitrogen Uptake and Yield of Rainfed Wheat as Affected by Soil Management Practices and Nitrogen Levels

Field experiment was conducted to study the effect of soil management practices such as, presowing irrigation and conventional tillage (PSICT), tillage after harvest (TAH), conventional tillage with Lantana camara incorporation (CTLNi), minimum tillage with mulch of lantana (MTLNM) and conventional tillage with mulch of lantana (CTLNM) and nitrogen levels (0, 60, 120 kg N ha⁻¹) on carry-over of seed-zone moisture, dynamic changes in hydrothermal regime during crop growth, yield and nitrogen uptake of wheat crop during the years 1990–91 and 1991–92. The MULCH (mulch application after harvest of rice) treatments retained more soil moisture in all the depths as compared to TAH (till age after harvest of rice) treatment, commonly followed by the farmers for wheat crop. The MULCH treatment conserved 7.2 and 4.7 mm more moisture per 0.30 m soil depth than TAH treatment, during the years 1990–91 and 1991–92, respectively at the time of sowing of wheat crop. The soil moisture storage and upward increase in hydraulic gradients were maximum up to 0.45 m depth in CTLNM and MTLNM (mulched) treatments and were minimum in CTLNi, TAH and PSICT (unmulched) treatments. Soil temperature was favourably moderated in mulch treatments (CTLNM and MTLNM) as compared to unmulched treatments. Nitrogen uptake and yield of grain and straw increased with nitrogen and mulch application during both the years of study.