Effect of conservation agriculture on soil hydrothermal regimes, crop evapo-transpiration and water productivity of wheat crop in the semi-arid region of North-Western India

Thrice replicated field trial was conducted to access soil hydrothermal regimes, crop evapotranspiration, water productivity, and crop productivity under different conservation agriculture practices in wheat compared with traditional conventional treatment. There were seven treatments: conventional treatment (CT), permanent narrow bed (PNB), permanent narrow bed with residue (PNB+R), permanent broad bed (PBB), permanent broad bed with residue (PBB+R), zero tillage (ZT) and zero tillage with residue (ZT+R). Soil moisture (0–60 cm) was found 13–22% higher under different residue treatments as compared to CT. PNB, PBB treatments had 10–20% lower soil moisture as compared to CT. The soil temperature (015 cm) on the PNB, PBB treatments remained 0.5–3.7°C significantly higher than the other treatments. The actual evapotranspiration (ETa) values were found higher under CT, ZT, and ZT+R treatments as compared to other treatments due to flood irrigation. PBB+R treatment had 23–27% higher water productivity in wheat as compared to the CT. Above-ground biomass, plant height, leaf area index, yield, and yield attributes had maximum values under PBB+R treatment. Grain yield in PBB+R was 1619% higher in the wheat crop as compared to CT. PBB+R management practice can be recommended for adoption by farmers for improving productivity under wheat crop in the semi-arid region of northwestern India.