Effect of crop-residue management on the production and agronomic nitrogen efficiency in a rice-wheat cropping system

The rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS), producing about 5-10 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ of grain, is the backbone of food-crop production in South-East Asia. However, this system shows signs of fatigue as indicated by declining yields, negative nitrogen (N) balances, and reduced responses to applied fertilizer at s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of plant nutrition and soil science 2008-04, Vol.171 (2), p.295-302
Main Authors: Sharma, S.N, Prasad, Rajendra
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
agronomic N efficiency
Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions
Biological and medical sciences
Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General agronomy. Plant production
Generalities. Cropping systems and patterns
N balance
N uptake
Sesbania
Sesbania, Vigna radiata
Soil science
Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility
Soil-plant relationships. Soil fertility. Fertilization. Amendments
Vigna radiata
wheat straw
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS), producing about 5-10 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ of grain, is the backbone of food-crop production in South-East Asia. However, this system shows signs of fatigue as indicated by declining yields, negative nitrogen (N) balances, and reduced responses to applied fertilizer at some research centers. The return of rice and wheat residues can recycle up to 20%-30% of the N absorbed by the crops. However, their wide C : N ratio can temporarily immobilize native and applied N. To overcome this immobilization, wheat-straw application was supplemented with the incorporation of Sesbania green manure and mungbean residues, and their effects on productivity, agronomic N efficiency, and system's apparent N balances were studied. Combining the application of wheat straw with Sesbania green manure or mungbean residues increased cereal grain yield and agronomic N efficiency and improved the generally negative apparent N balances. The combined use of wheat straw and mungbean produced an additional 0.5-0.6 t ha⁻¹ protein-rich grain and thus appears to be the most promising residue-management option for rice-wheat cropping systems in South Asia, provided that the transition cropping season between wheat harvest and rice transplanting is long enough.
ISSN:1436-8730
1522-2624
DOI:10.1002/jpln.200700144