Low Residue Research Articles

Conservation agriculture effects on yield and profitability of rice-based systems in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain

Abstract Sustaining productivity of the rice-based cropping systems in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (EIGP) requires practices to reverse declining soil fertility resulting from excessive tillage and crop residue removal, while decreasing production costs and increasing farm profits. We hypothesize that the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA), involving minimum tillage, crop residue retention and crop rotation, can address most of these challenges. Therefore, the effects of crop establishment methods – strip planting (SP), bed planting (BP) and conventional tillage (CT); and levels of crop residue retention – high residue (HR) and low residue (LR) on individual crop yield, system yield and profitability were evaluated in a split-plot design over three cropping seasons in two field experiments (Alipur and Digram sites) with contrasting crops and soil types in the EIGP. The SP and BP of non-rice crops were rotated with non-puddled rice establishment; CT of non-rice crops was rotated with puddled transplanted rice. In the legume-dominated system (rice-lentil-mung bean), lentil yields were similar in SP and CT, while lower in BP in crop season 1. A positive effect of high residue over low residue was apparent by crop season 2 and persisted in crop season 3. In crop season 3, the lentil yield increased by 18–23% in SP and BP compared to CT. In the cereal-dominated system (rice-wheat-mung bean), significant yield increases of wheat in SP and BP (7–10%) over CT, and of HR (1–3%) over LR, were detected by crop season 3 but not before. Rice yields under CA practices (non-puddled and HR) were comparable with CT (puddled and LR) in both systems. Improved yield of lentil and wheat with CA was correlated with higher soil water content. The net income of SP increased by 25–28% for dry season crops as compared to CT and was equal with CT for rice cropping systems. Conservation agriculture practices provide opportunities for enhancing crop yield and profitability in intensive rice-based systems of the EIGP of Bangladesh.

Soil Wind Erosion Hazard of Spring Wheat–Fallow as Affected by Long‐Term Climate and Tillage

We hypothesized that drought accelerates wind erosion by increasing plant and soil factors of erodibility together, compounding the erosion hazard. Erodibility factors measured in biennial spring wheat–fallow on Pachic and Typic Haploborolls soil were (i) soil‐inherent wind erodibility (SIWE) by rotary sieving, (ii) surface roughness by pin meter and chain methods, (iii) standing residue profile, and (iv) residue coverage photographically. Four tillage treatments ranged from low residue (LR) to no‐till (NT). The erodible fraction of surface soil (a SIWE measure) changed from 53% during a dry period (1989–1990) to a less erodible 26% during a wet period (1992–1994). Median erosion protection values calculated from flat and standing residue measurements made after seeding were, respectively, 16 and 43% in 1989 to 1990, and 80 and 76% in 1992 to 1994. Soil losses estimated by RWEQ model equations were 11 to 6100 times greater during 1989 to 1990, compared with 1992 to 1994. No‐till was protective, and estimated soil losses on LR were up to 3000 times greater than those on NT. However, low residue yields in 1988 (930 vs. 3640 kg/ha avg.) resulted in inadequate protection after seeding in 1990, even in NT; and soil losses in LR and NT were 13 and 8 Mg/ha, respectively. Results indicate biennial small grain–fallow is nonsustainable in the long term from a soil‐erosion perspective.

Effect of Substrate Preheating on Solderability Performance as a Guideline for Assembly Process Development Part 1: Baseline Analysis *

A study was performed which investigated the wettability of 63Sn‐37Pb and 96.5Sn‐3.5Ag solders on copper and gold ‐nickel plated Kovar ™ using a rosin ‐based, mildly activated (RMA) flux, a water soluble organic acid flux (WS ),and a low residue (LR) flux. The quantitative metric was the contact angle, θc, measured by the meniscometer /wetting balance technique. The first part of the study (Part 1) examined wetting performance following continuous exposure to 25°C prior to testing. Then, a preheating step was introduced into the experimental procedure after flux application, but preceding the actual wettability test in order to simulate a factory reflow process; these results are presented in Part II of this study. Contact angles for the 63Sn‐37Pb solder (215°C) on copper were 22±2° with the RMA flux, 12±5° for the WS flux, and 31±6° for the LR flux. Increasing the 63Sn‐37Pb solder temperature to 245°C improved wettability with the RMA and LR fluxes, but no change was observed with the WS fulx. Theii 96.5Sn‐3.5Ag lead ‐free solder exhibited poorer wettability on copper compared with the 63Sn‐37Pb alloy, with contact angles of 41±2° (RMA), 63±15°(WS) and 39±4°(LR). For the gold ‐nickel plated Kovar™ substrates, the 63Sn‐37Pb solder at 215° had contact angles of 15±3°, 35±6° and 29±6° for the RMA, WS and LR fluxes, respectively. The values were reduced at the higher test temperature (245°). The 96.5Sn‐3.5Ag solder also exhibited good wetting performance on the gold ‐nickel plated Kovar™ specimens compared with copper. Analysis of the interfacial tension parameters, γSF‐γSLand γLF ,exemplified the importance of γLF as well as the condition of the surfaces (γSF ) on wettability performance. A so ‐called ‘combined analysis’ of the 63Sn‐37Pb and 96.5Sn‐3.5Ag wettability data on either copper or gold ‐ nickel plated Kovar™ substrates was used to predict the solder temperature dependence of wettability for the three fluxes and two base materials.