Energy Analysis of Wheat Sown With Different Farm Machineries for Rice Residue Management in Punjab

The study evaluated seven wheat establishment systems sown with different farm machineries following in-situ and ex-situ rice residue management. System I, II and III utilized super straw management with combine harvester followed by wheat sowing with the PAU smart seeder (PSS), turbo happy seeder (THS) and super seeder (SS), respectively. System IV involved in-situ rice residue incorporation using mulcher, mould board, rotavator operation, planking and seed drilling, while System V employed in-situ wet mixing of rice residue involving the operation of mulcher and rotavator followed by seed drill operation. System VI followed ex-situ approach including the operation of stubble shaver, baler, rotavator and seed drilling. System VII represented the conventional method of wheat sowing after paddy residue burning. The study aimed to assess the optimization of energy use and sustainability of these systems in wheat establishment. The results revealed that zero-tillage wheat sowing with PAU Smart Seeder (PSS) and Turbo Happy Seeder (THS) after harvesting of paddy with Super SMS attached combine harvester was most efficient, with operational costs of Rs. 3612 ha^-1 and Rs. 3630 ha^-1, respectively. These systems recorded the lowest energy use (17,268.72 MJ ha^-1 for THS and 17,4777.04 MJ ha^-1 for PSS, respectively) and energy ratios (Er) of 5.87 (PSS) and 5.92 (THS). THS showed the lowest carbon footprints (1075.03 kg CO₂ equivalent ha^-1 and 150.22 kg CO₂ equivalent t^-1), with highest carbon efficiency (Ce) and sustainability index (CSI), reflecting greater biomass production and reduced emissions from avoiding residue burning and tillage. In-situ dry mixing of rice residue requires repeated tillage and multiple tractor passes for chopping, mixing and incorporation of rice residue, thus significantly increasing energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and operational costs as compared to direct drilling of wheat with PSS and THS with paddy residue retention. Therefore, adopting wheat cultivation with PSS and THS for effective rice residue management represented a viable alternative for enhancing energy productivity in the rice-wheat cropping system.