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Dry Land Research in Northwest India: I: Effect of Variable Pre‐Planting Tillage on Soil Moisture, Growth, and Yield of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum typhoides, S. and H.) 1
Author(s) -
Malik A. S.,
Kumar Vijay,
Moolani M. K.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1973.00021962006500010004x
Subject(s) - agronomy , pennisetum , plough , sowing , tillage , environmental science , yield (engineering) , water content , moisture , bulk density , dry land , soil water , biology , geography , soil science , geology , physics , geotechnical engineering , meteorology , thermodynamics
Four preplanting tillage methods including turn plowing, chiseling, double disking — all followed by a light cultivation — and no tillage were tried on pearl millet ( Pennisetum typhoides , S. and H.) under dry land conditions. Turn plowing resulted in the highest infiltration rate and lowest bulk density values. In consequence, it showed maximum profile soil moisture throughout the growing period of the crop. Variation in soil moisture was more marked in the 60‐ to 90‐cm depth than the upper layers. Grain yield from turn plow plots was about 29% higher than that from the no tillage. Root growth was comparatively poor, but weed yield was more than double on the nontilled plots than on those that were turn plowed. Most of the plant and soil observations showed little difference between turn plowing and chiseling, while double disking was close to no tillage.