Conservation Agriculture Strategies Evaluation under Rainfed Conditions

Abstract

Continuous tillage has a significant impact on the characteristics of the soil; therefore, it's critical to use tillage techniques that preserve crop production, prevent soil structure from being destroyed, and provide greater financial returns rather than harming the health of the soil. Practicing agriculture through minimum soil disturbance, incorporation of crop residues through in-situ green manuring enhances the crop growth attributes of pigeon pea under thirsty and nutrient hunger dryland conditions by improving the physicochemical and biological properties of soil. A field investigation was carried out to evaluate conservation agriculture effect on agronomic growth attributes of pigeon pea and set up in spilt plot design. Among all the tillage practices conventional tillage with horse gram in-situ green manuring has recorded maximum plant height, leaves, branches,  stem girth at all growth stages and yield attributes. However, M1 witnessed lower benefit to cost ratio than reduced tillage (M2) (1 Harrowing + 1 intercultural operation + pre-emergence herbicide). Farming with zero tillage alone affects the plant growth by excessive weed growth, soil compaction and which results in minimum yield. Therefore optimum number of tillage operations is the key to maintain soil health and to achieve the  best benefit for the rupee invested.