Effects of straw mulch on mungbean yield in rice fields with strongly compacted soils

Abstract

In rice-based lowland areas in the Mekong region, the lack of full irrigation water availability for post-rice legume crops and the poor soil physical and chemical conditions are major constraints for development of sound rice/legume double cropping system. In order to improve legume productivity, use of rice straw mulch and various crop establishment methods were examined in two series of mungbean experiments in Cambodia where soils were coarse and strongly compacted. In one set of experiments conducted at four locations in the first year the effect of straw mulch, planting method (manual vs seed drill) and tillage method (conventional vs no-till) was examined. Another set of experiments were conducted in the second year at three locations with four levels of mulch under two planting densities. On average in year 1, mulching of rice straw at 1.5 t/ha increased mungbean crop establishment from 72 to 83%, reduced weed biomass from 164 to 123 kg/ha and increased yield from 228 to 332 kg/ha. Mulch was effective in conserving soil moisture, and even at maturity the mulched area had on average 1% higher soil moisture content. The amount of mulch between 1 and 2 t/ha did not show consistent effects in year 2, partly because some mulch treatments resulted in excessive soil moisture content and were not effective. Rice straw mulch had a significant effect on mungbean yield in 6 out of the 7 experiments conducted in two years, and mean yield increase was 35%. This yield advantage was attributed to better crop establishment, improved growth and reduced weed pressure, but in some cases only one or two of these factors were effective. On the other hand, planting method, tillage method and planting density had only small effects on mungbean yield in most experiments. Only in one location out of four tested, the no-till treatment produced significantly higher yield than the conventional method. Seed drill produced similar mungbean establishment and grain yield to the manual planting suggesting that the planter can be used to save the labour cost which is increasing rapidly in the Mekong region. Maximum root depth varied little with mulch or planting density, and was shallow (<20 cm) in all three locations where this character was determined. It is concluded that while rice straw mulch increased yield of mungbean following rice, the inability of mungbean roots to penetrate the hard pan is a major constraint for development of a sound rice/mungbean cropping system in the lowlands with compacted soils.