Impact of various tillage practices on soil moisture content, bulk density and soil strength on clay loam soil condition under Rod-Kohi area of D.I. Khan.

摘要

Field experiments were conducted with the objectives to evaluate the impact of various tillage practices on some soil parameters of clay loam soil including soil moisture content, bulk density and soil strength under Rod Kohi command area during wheat and chickpea rotation (2002-05). The experiments were laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments and four replications. The results showed that tillage treatments had significant effects on soil moisture content, bulk density and soil strength at 0-30 and 31-60 cm depths during the wheat-chickpea rotation growing seasons. By comparing soil moisture content during three consecutive years (2002-05) of wheat-chickpea rotations, it was noted that the mean highest soil moisture content of 16.42% was found in tillage treatment (DHTC3) and the lowest mean soil moisture content of 15.27% in CPTC3 at 0-30 cm depth respectively, while at 31-60 cm depth, the mean highest soil moisture content of 18.03% was possessed by tillage treatment DPTC3 and the mean lowest soil moisture content was recorded 16.29% in tillage plot TC4. By comparing, mean minimum bulk density of 1.21 g cm-3 in tillage treatment DHTC3 and the mean highest of 1.28 g cm-3 was recorded in TC4 at 0-30 cm depth respectively. Similarly, the bulk density at 31-60 cm depth, the mean minimum bulk density was possessed 1.26 g cm-3 by tillage treatments DPTC3 and DHTC3, and the highest bulk density was found 1.33 g cm-3 by tillage treatment TC4. Similarly soil strength at 0-30 cm depth, mean least soil strength of 330 N cm-2 was found in DPTC3 and the highest soil strength of 363 N cm-2 was observed in the MBTC3 in TC4 plots. While at 31-60 cm depth, tillage treatment of DPTC3 resulted lowest value of 439 N cm-2 soil strength up to their plowing depth respectively, and in the TC4 treatment resulted highest value of 492 N cm-2. On an average, field prepared by disk plow/disk harrow once and tine type cultivator 3 times (DPTC3) and (DHTC3) were resulted higher soil moisture conservation, lower bulk density and least soil strength as compared to mouldboard plow/chisel plough in combination with tine type cultivator or alone tine type cultivator on clay loam type of soil during wheat-chickpea rotation under Rod Kohi command irrigated area..