Abstract:
Rainfed wheat is generally
grown in rotation with summer fallow in
medium to high rainfall zone of Pothwar
plateau of Pakistan. The present study was,
therefore, conducted to investigate the
impact of shallow and deep tillage practices,
with and without herbicide (glyphosate)
application, on moisture conservation and
subsequent wheat yields. The study also
aimed to examine the feasibility of
substituting intensive shallow tillage with
single application of glyphosate. The
experiment was laid out in randomized
complete block design with three replicates
and net plot size of 14 m x 10 m, during
2007 and 2008 at two locations i.e high and
medium rainfall. Wheat cultivar “GA-2002”
was planted as a test crop. The data showed
the superiority of conservation tillage in
terms of conservation of moisture and
increasing grain yields. Results also
elaborated that tillage cannot be completely
eliminated for profitable fallow
management. However, deep ploughing
with moldboard followed by single
application of glyphosate proved potential
option for substituting shallow tillage
carried out during summer (kharif). The
additional benefits under this tillage system
included saving in fuel, labour and lower
depreciation and maintenance costs for
tillage machinery in addition to
unquantifiable environmental benefits.
