Effect of Tillage and Weed Management Practices on Physico-chemical Properties of Soil and Yield of Soybean in Inceptisols

Abstract

An investigation was carried during the year 2018-19 to study the“ Effect of tillage and weed management practices on physico-chemical properties of soil and yield of soybean in Inceptisols” at Research Farm of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Weed Management, Department of Agronomy, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola. The study has focused the integrated effect of tillage and weed management practices on physico chemical properties of soil, yield of soybean and availability of nutrients. Five weed control practices were superimposed in four strips of different tillage practices in strip plot with three replications. The tillage operations consist of conventional tillage, reduced tillage, minimum tillage and zero tillage, however weed management practices includes application of pre emergence weedicide (diclosulam), post emergence weedicides (propaquizafop + imazethapyr.), integration of pre emergence and post emergence weedicide, hand weeding and weedy check. The soils of experimental plot was alkaline in reaction and low to medium in organic carbon. The available nitrogen and phosphorus was low and potassium was high to very high. Based on the observations noted, the bulk density of soil was significantly influenced due to tillage and weed management practices. The highest bulk density was noted with zero tillage (1.46 Mg m-3) followed by reduced tillage (1.45 Mg m-3). The highest Mean Weight Diameter (0.75 mm) was enumerated with minimum tillage and hand weeding management practice (0.75 mm). While, the interaction of tillage and weed management practices showed non-significant results in respect of soil physical properties. The highest available of nitrogen (207.33 kg ha-1), phosphorus (20.07 kg ha-1) and potassium (346.1 kg ha-1) were recorded with minimum tillage and with hand weeding practice.