Conservation Practice and Fertilizer Management to Improve Productivity of Wheat-Maize-Rice Cropping

System in Coastal Uplands

Dr. Md. Ataur Rahman Wheat Research Centre, BARI

q  20% of total land are in coastal areas

q  53% (0.83 m ha) are affected by

different degrees of salinity

q  Saline areas and intensity of slinity are gradually increasing

Introduction

Soil Salinity Map 1973 2009

Seasonal variation in water availability is very contrast

Salinity

Post paddy harvest field

Lac of quality irrigation water cause

Less Productivity and Less Cropping Intensity Coastal Region

How to Improve the Productivity of Coastal Soil ?

i.   Introduction of saline tolerant crop variety

ii.   Cultivation winter crops those require less water

iii.  Reclamation of Soil Salinity through minimizing capillary movement.

iv.   Reclamation of Soil Salinity through Mulching and tillage. Like -

Crop residue retention, Raise bed planting

v. Introduction of suitable cropping pattern.

Considering all these points

We Introduced an Intensive Triple Cereal System

Integrating crop varieties, conservation practice of bed, use of crop residue as mulch and fertilizer management

Objectives

v Introduce wheat-maize-rice cropping system in coastal uplands.

v Evaluate CA and fertilizer management in soil salinity remediation.

v Maximizing system productivity to contribute to food security of the farmers living in coastal regions of Bangladesh.

Materials and Methods Location : ARS, BARI, Shatkhira (22⁰43´N 89⁰06´E) Design : Split-plot Main plot : 3 levels of Nutrient management

1. Recommended fertilizers (RF) 2. RF+ 50% K and S 3. RF+ Ash @ 2.0 t/ha

Sub plot : 4 levels of Soil management 1. Conventional (Flat) 2. Flat+ Straw Mulch @ 3.0 t/ha 3. Bed planting 4. Bed+ Straw Mulch @ 3.0 t/ha

Materials and Methods (Cont) Test Crops : 3 Wheat- Variety : BARI GOM 25 Maize- BARI Hybrid Maize 7 Rice- BRRI Dhan 39 Starting with wheat sowing 2011 and ended with rice harvest in 2013 Recommended Fertilizer (RF): Wheat: N120 P30 K50 S20 B2 kg/ha Maize : N200 P50 K100 S40 Zn5 kg/ha Rice : N80 P25 K50 S20 kg/ha

Materials and Methods (Cont)

Nov Jan Mar

Feb Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct Dec

Rice Wheat

Maize

Accommodation of component crops in the system

Results

Treatment RF RF+KS RF+Ash Mean Flat 2.98 3.22 3.54 3.24 B

Flat + Mulch 3.44 3.67 3.78 3.63 A

Bed 3.09 3.29 3.63 3.34 B

Bed+ Mulch 3.70 3.89 4.14 3.91 A

Mean 3.30 b 3.52 ab 3.77 a

Interaction LSD (0.05)= 0.41

Table 1. Effect of fertilizers, conservation practices and their interactions on wheat yield (t/ha) Mean of 2 years

Mulch level (Rice Straw)

RLD (cm/cm3)

NUE (Agronomic)

Grain yield (t/ha)

Control 0.48 b 24.7 b 3.48 b

2.0 t/ha 0.57 ab 27.3 ab 3.80 ab

4.0 t/ha 0.66 a 30.6 a 4.14 a

Table 2. RLD, NUE and Grain yield of wheat under straw mulching

Rahman et al. 2011

Fig 2. Interaction effect of fertilizers and conservation practices maize yield (Mean of 2 years)

0

2

4

6

8

RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

Yiel

d (t/

ha)

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

B B + M

F + M F

RF

Fig 3. Salinity in surface soil (0-10 cm) in time influenced by different fertilizer levels

3  Dec  12  

12  Dec  12  

9  Mar  13  

20  Mar  13  

   10    April  13  

30  Dec  12  

21  Jan  13  

7    Feb  13  

20  Dec  12  

15  Feb  13  

24  Feb  13  

28  May  13  

20  May  13  

10  Jan  13  

30  Jan  13  

30  Mar  13  

   19    April  13  

 30  April  13  

10  May  13  

 8  June  13  

20  June  13  

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

EC (d

s m

-1)

RF RF + KS RF + Ash

Wheat growing period

Maize growing period

3  Dec  12  

12  Dec  12  

9  Mar  13  

20  Mar  13  

   10    April  13  

30  Dec  12  

21  Jan  13  

7    Feb  13  

20  Dec  12  

15  Feb  13  

24  Feb  13  

28  May  13  

20  May  13  

10  Jan  13  

30  Jan  13  

30  Mar  13  

   19    April  13  

 30  April  13  

10  May  13  

 8  June  13  

20  June  13  

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

1/1 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/5 1/6 1/7 1/8 1/9 1/10 1/11 1/12 1/13 1/14 1/15 1/16 1/17 1/18 1/19 1/20 1/21

EC (d

s m

-1)

Flat Flat + Mulch

Bed Bed + Mulch

Fig 4. Salinity in surface soil (0-10 cm) in time influenced by conservation practices

Wheat growing period

Maize growing period

Fig 1. Influence of CA treatments on Soil Moisture

IR

Rain

25 Nov 12

04 Dec 12

03 May 13

12 May 13

23 May 13

18 Dec 12

05 Jan 13

14 Dec 12

15 April 13

24 April 13

25 June 13

26 Jan 13

15 Jan 13

15 May 13

31 May 13

08 June 13

17 June 13

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

1/1 1/2 1/3 1/4 1/5 1/6 1/7 1/8 1/9 1/10 1/11 1/12 1/13 1/14 1/15 1/16 1/17 1/18

Soil

Moi

sture

(% w

t.)

Conventional ConservationBed Bed + Conservation

Wheat early growth stages Maize early growth & vegetative stages

85 cm of rain in 3 weeks

(Rahman et al. 2013)

IR IR

IR

Fig. 5: Interaction effect of fertilizers and conservation practices on rice yield (1st year 2012)

Treatment RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash Mean

Flat 4.68 4.25 5.26 4.73 B

Flat + Mulch 5.12 4.47 5.85 5.16 A

Bed 4.72 4.34 5.17 4.74 B

Bed+ Mulch 5.22 4.52 5.68 5.13 A

Mean 4.94 b 4.40 c 5.50 a

Interaction LSD (0.05)= 0.40

Table 3. Effect of fertilizers, conservation practices and their interaction on rice yield in 2nd year

Table 3. Effect of fertilizers, conservation practices and their interaction on rice yield in 2nd year

Treatment RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash Mean

Flat 4.68 4.25 5.26 4.73 B

Flat + Mulch 5.12 4.47 5.85 5.16 A

Bed 4.72 4.34 5.17 4.74 B

Bed+ Mulch 5.22 4.52 5.68 5.13 A

Mean 4.94 b 4.40 c 5.50 a

Interaction LSD (0.05)= 0.40

Now the BIG Question?

Nutrient availability under triple cereal system

1

1.1

1.2

1.3

Initial RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

OM

(%)

0.06

0.065

0.07

Initial RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

Tot

al N

(%)

10

11

12

13

Initial RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

P (µ

g/g)

0.35

0.4

0.45

0.5

0.55

Initial RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

K (m

eq/1

00g)

8

9

10

11

Initial RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

Ca

(meq

/100

g)

2.5

2.75

3

3.25

3.5

Initial RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

Mg

(meq

/100

g)

106

110

114

118

122

Initial RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

S (µ

g/g)

1.5

1.75

2

2.25

2.5

Initial RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

Zn

(µg/

g)

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

Initial RF RF+ KS RF+ Ash

B (µ

g/g)

Fig 6. Nutrient contents in soil after two cycle of cropping as affected by fertilizer levels in reference to initial soil

OM N P

S

Mg K Ca

Zn B

1

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

OM

(%)

0.06

0.065

0.07

0.075

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

Tot

al N

(%)

9

10

11

12

13

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

P (µ

g/g)

8

9

10

11

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

Ca

(meq

/100

g)

0.35

0.4

0.45

0.5

0.55

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

K (m

eq/1

00g)

2.5

2.75

3

3.25

3.5

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

Mg

(meq

/100

g)

106

110

114

118

122

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

S (µ

g/g)

1.5

1.75

2

2.25

2.5

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

Zn

(µg/

g)

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

Flat Flat+Mulch Bed Bed+Mulch

B (µ

g/g)

Fig 7. Nutrient contents in soil after two cycle of cropping as affected by conservation practices

OM N P

K Ca Mg

S Zn B

Conclusion v Use of Ash with recommended fertilizers and straw

mulching resulted higher yields of component crops by eliminating several constraints including salinity and favoring plant growth factors including nutrient availability.

v Bed planting alone was ineffective in controlling salinity; But much application either in bed or flat was equally effective.

v Soil nutrients were not decreased due to triple cereal system rather it was improved when ash and straw mulch was applied.

Due attention is needed to improve the productivity of coastal uplands using the locally available resources of Ash and crop residues as mulch.