Author(s):

T Pandiaraj, AK Bhardwaj and Sumit Chaturvedi

Abstract: The rice–wheat covering 13.5 million hectare in the Indo-Gangetic Plains is key cropping system for food security. Its sustainability is at threat as the existing cultivation practices are inadequate resulting in low factor productivity and ecological unsafe. This study was designed to improve system growth and productivity of vegetable pea with responses to a combination of different tillage, mulching and fertility levels. The results revealed that plant height of vegetable pea was 7% more in conventional tillage than reduced tillage system. However, reduced tillage had achieved earlier growth period with response to 75% flowering and podding in vegetable pea as compared to conventional tillage system. Mulching with paddy straw had recorded positive growth than no mulch system. Similarly, fertilize with 100% RDF was found to higher growth parameters and achieved earlier 75% flowering and podding. Compared to conventional tillage method, reduced tillage gave 25% higher pod yield. Pod yield under mulching practices was very high (57% more) than no mulch. The 100% RDF was found to be 17% more pod yield than 75% RDF. The similar responses were also observed for root characteristics. In the conventional tillage, root length observed higher than reduced tillage. However, root dry weight and root nodules were recorded more with reduced tillage. Similarly, paddy straw mulch and 100% RDF gave more root characteristics in vegetable pea. Hence, conservation agriculture technologies can be more efficient and productive towards higher productivity, profitability and resource conservation; however, long term studies in diverse soil, climatic and socio-economic conditions still require to be conducted to validate the observations made in the reported study.

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