An Investigation into the Impacts of Preparatory Tillage and Nutrient Management on Barley Yield and Economic Viability in the Context of Water Stress Conditions

Abstract

A number of field tests were carried out at the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology's Soil Conservation and Water Management Farm in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, during the successive rabi seasons of 2020–21 and 2021–22. The gangatic alluvial soil in the study area had a pH of 7.6, which was indicative of its light texture and moderate soil fertility. The study included three different treatments that included preparatory tillage techniques: T1 treatment was one cross plowing with a cultivator; T2 treatment was one disc harrow plowing followed by another cross plowing with a cultivator; and T3 treatment was one disc harrow plowing plus one rotavator pass. The experiment also looked into three different nutrient management strategies: N1, which involved applying 100% of the Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (RDF)—60 kg of N, 30 kg of P2O5, and 30 kg of K2O—through chemical fertilizers; N2, which involved applying 75% of the RDF through chemical fertilizers along with 25% of Farm Yard Manure (FYM); and N3, which applied 50% of the RDF through chemical fertilizers along with 50% of FYM. In addition to applying 50% RDF through chemical fertilizers combined with 50% FYM, the results of the two-year experiment showed that planting barley crops in plots that received one disc harrow plowing and one rotavator pass yielded the maximum values across growth factors, yield attributes (such as grain yield q ha-1, straw yield q ha-1, biological yield q/ha, as well as harvest index), net return, gross return, and the barley benefit-to-cost ratio. This was noted in both years in a consistent manner. The next best results were seen with preparatory tillage, which involved using a cultivator to plough a single cross and applying chemical fertilizers to achieve 100% RDF (N1: 60 kg N ha-1 + 30 kg P2O5ha-1 + 30 kg K2Oha-1).