In South Asia, soil health degradation is affecting the sustainability of the rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS). Indeed, for the sustainability of the soil quality, new adaptive technologies, i.e., conservation tillage and straw management resource conservation, are promising options. This investigation was focused on the interaction of tillage and straw management practices and their effects on Aridisols, Yermosols soil quality, and nutrients dynamics with different soil profiles within RWCS. The long-term field experiment was started in 2014 with the scenarios (i) conventional tillage (SC₁), (ii) residue incorporation (SC₂), (iii) straw management practices (SC₃ and SC₄) and conservation tillage (SC₅). Conservation tillage practice (SC₅) showed significant impact on properties of soil and availability of nutrients in comparison with that of conventional farmers practice (SC₁) at the studied soil depths. The SC₅ showed significant results of gravitational water contents (25.34%), moderate pH (7.4), soil organic-matter (7.6 g kg⁻¹), total nitrogen (0.38 g kg⁻¹), available phosphate (7.4 mg kg⁻¹), available potassium (208 mg kg⁻¹) compared to SC₁ treatment at 0 to 15 cm soil depth. Whereas, DTPA-extractable-Cu, Mn, and Zn concentration were significantly higher, i.e., 1.12 mg kg⁻¹, 2.14 mg kg⁻¹, and 4.35 mg kg⁻¹, respectively under SC₅ than conventional farmer’s practices, while DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) extractable Fe (6.15 mg kg⁻¹) was more in straw management practices (SC₄) than conventional and conservation tillage. Therefore, conservation tillage (SC₅) can surge the sustainability of the region by improving soil assets and nutrients accessibility and has the potential to minimize inorganic fertilizers input in the long run.

Reduced Water Use and Labor Cost and Increased Productivity of Direct Seeded Basmati Rice in Punjab, Pakistan

| Planting method is an important aspect of production technology for the maximum resource utilization by crops per unit area. Dry-seeded rice (DSR) is a contemporary resource saving crop establishing technique, which enables farmers to harvest economical rice production. Field study was conducted at Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Pakistan in 2014 and in 2015 to evaluate the different planting methods. Three dry-seeded rice (DSR) planting methods viz. (i) DSR-broadcast, (ii) DSR-drill, (iii) DSR-ridges were compared with the conventional transplanting (TR) method in lines having row to row and plant to plant distance of 22.5cm distance, and farmer transplanting method. Experimental design was randomized complete block, replicated 3 times. Data were recorded on height (cm), tillers m-2, filled and unfilled grains panicle-1, thousand grain weight (g), grain and biomass yield (t ha-1). Grain sterility (%) and harvest index (%) were also calculated. Highest grain yield (5.00 to 5.11 t ha-1) with harvest index (30.00 to 31.50%) and relatively low grain sterility (12.00 to 12.01%) were observed in DSR-ridge and DSR-drill sowing method. Moreover, DSR (i.e. DSR-ridge and -drill) resulted in 104 and 76 % more profit over TR-farmer practice. The study concluded that DSR-ridge and DSR-drill proved to be the best to obtain the maximum paddy yield and net profit. Farmers can adopt these methods to harvest maximum benefit.