EFFECT OF TILLAGE AND MOISTURE-CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON PRODUCTIVITY, WATER-USE AND WATER-USE EFFICIENCY OF PEARL-MILLET (PENNISETUM-GLAUCUM) ON LIGHT SOILS UNDER DRYLAND CONDITION
S. Singh et al., EFFECT OF TILLAGE AND MOISTURE-CONSERVATION PRACTICES ON PRODUCTIVITY, WATER-USE AND WATER-USE EFFICIENCY OF PEARL-MILLET (PENNISETUM-GLAUCUM) ON LIGHT SOILS UNDER DRYLAND CONDITION, Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 67(6), 1997, pp. 232-236
A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season (kharif) of 1
989 and 1990 to study the effect of deep summer tillage with and witho
ut incorporation of farmyard manure and soil mulching on grain yield,
water use and water-use efficiency of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum
(L.) R. Br. emend. Stuntz]. Pearl millet yield varied significantly d
ue to tillage practices only in 1990. The highest grain yield (2.25 to
nnes/ha) was obtained with no summer ploughing and lowest (1.52 tonnes
/ha) with chiselling + deep summer ploughing + farmyard manure. Season
al water use was highest with no summer ploughing in both the years. W
ater-use efficiency was highest (10.41 kg grain/ha-mm) with chiselling
+ deep summer ploughing + farmyard manure in 1989, and with no summer
ploughing (6.0 kg grain/ha/mm) in 1990. Net return was highest (Rs 4
313 kg/ha) with deep summer ploughing + farmyard manure in 1989 and wi
th no summer ploughing (Rs 4 852/ha) in 1990. However, net return/rupe
e invested was highest with no summer ploughing in both the years, bei
ng Rs 1.45 and 1.67 in 1989 and 1990 respectively. Soil mulching showe
d beneficial effect on yield only in 1989. The highest grain yield (2.
30 tonnes/ha) was obtained with dust mulch, closely followed by straw
mulch (2.18 tonnes/ha). Soil mulching caused considerable increase in
water use and water-use efficiency only in 1989. Though dust mulch res
ulted in higher seasonal water use than straw mulch, there was no mark
ed difference between these 2 for water-use efficiency. Net return (Rs
4 601/ha) as well as net return/rupee invested (Rs 1.32) were highest
with dust mulch in 1989. However, net return (Rs 5 965/ha) and net re
turn/rupee invested (Rs 1.36) were highest with no mulch in 1990.