Impact of tillage, nitrogen and stubble management on physico-chemical properties of a soil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

Abstract

Continuous cereal based crop rotation; inappropriate cultivation, burning and removing of crop residues deteriorate soil physico-chemical properties in the Peshawar Valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of different tillage systems, nitrogen and crop residues management on soil physico-chemical properties of Alfisole type soil. The study was conducted for two years at Cereal Crops Research Institute Pirsabak Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The treatments of the experiment were three tillage systems i.e. minimum (10 cm); conventional (20 cm) and deep (30 cm) were the main plots, whereas the subplots were maize stubble management such as physical removal, burning and incorporation with and without nitrogen (120 kg ha-1) fertilizer application. The control treatment is considered the plots where stubbles were physically removed and no N was applied. Result of the study showed that minimum tillage system had improved soil moisture retention, soil bulk density, soil mineral nitrogen, soil total nitrogen and soil organic carbon. Similarly, sole stubble incorporation had significantly improved soil physico-chemical properties as compared to sole removed and stubble burnt plots. Stubble incorporation along with application of recommended dose of

nitrogen fertilizer (120 kg ha-1)

had also improved soil properties as

compared to bared and burnt treatments. It is evident from results that minimum tillage and maize stubble incorporation alone or in combination with recommended dose of fertilizer nitrogen in a continuous cereal based cropping system improved soil physico-chemical properties.