Most of the tillage operations for puddling soil in Bangladesh are done by power tiller which is detrimental to physical soil conditions. Moreover, puddling produces a hard setting soil when dry which makes land preparation difficult for the following crops.The study was conducted to examine the performance of rice using non-puddled transplanting system with the retention of mustard residues.
Most of the rice farmers in the Asian continent establish seedlings by transplanting in puddled soil. Lands is prepared by one or two passes in dry condition followed by exposure to the sun for a couple of days. Then after inundation, the final field is prepared by ploughing, cross ploughing and laddering in standing water. However, this traditional puddling method is labor, fuel, time and capital consuming.
Nowadays most of the tillage operations for puddling soil in Bangladesh are done by power tiller which is detrimental to physical soil conditions through destroying soil aggregates, breaking capillary pores, and dispersing the soils. Moreover, puddling produces a hard setting soil when dry which makes land preparation difficult for the following crops.
Not only that, puddled rice transplanting consumes about 20-40% of the total water required for raising a crop, and it also promotes the formation of hardpan. Furthermore, it reduces soil organic carbon which apart from decreasing soil fertility accelerates the losses of irrigation water and damage to the environment.
Adoption of minimum tillage and non-puddled transplanting might be an alternative to puddled transplanting to overcome these destructive impacts. This technology has potential to allow saving in labor, energy, water and time during rice establishment as well as improving soil fertility.
Concerning the soil health, another agronomic option is the retaining the residues of previously cultivated crops for their effects on soil physical, chemical and biological functions as well as water and soil quality and on crop yield.
Residue retention maintains soil micro-organisms and microbial activity which can also lead to weed suppression by the biological agents leading to increase crop yield. Considerable research work was done on puddled transplanting, but there is limited information on non-puddled rice transplanting with crop residue retention under Bangladesh conditions.
Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the performance of rice using non-puddled transplanting system with the retention of mustard residues.
Based on this two-year study, we can conclude that non-puddled rice transplanting with the retention of crop residues was a profitable alternative to existing conventional tillage operation and farmers are likely to be benefited by increased profit through adopting this practice.
Based on this two-year study, we can conclude that non-puddled rice transplanting with the retention of crop residues was a profitable alternative to existing conventional tillage operation and farmers are likely to be benefited by increased profit through adopting this practice.
Read the full study:
Hossain M, Begum M, Rahman M, Hashem A, Bell R, Haque E (2021). Influence of non-puddled transplanting and residues of previous mustard on rice (Oryza sativa L.). International Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. 1(1), 8-14.
