Tillage in Combination with Rice Straw Retention in a Rice–Wheat System Improves the Productivity and Quality of Wheat Grain through Improving the Soil Physio-Chemical Properties

In order to study the contribution of long-term tillage and rice straw management practices on wheat yield and soil properties in a rice–wheat system, a field study was conducted with seven main plot treatments as straw management practices, i.e., puddled transplanted rice + zero till drill sown wheat without paddy and wheat straw (R1), puddled transplanted rice + conventional tillage sown wheat without paddy and wheat straw (R2), puddled transplanted paddy without wheat straw + zero till wheat sown with Happy Seeder with paddy straw as mulch (R3), puddled transplanted rice without wheat straw+ conventional tillage sown wheat after paddy straw incorporation with disc harrow (R4), puddled transplanted rice without wheat straw + zero till sown wheat after paddy straw incorporation with rotavator (R5), puddled transplanted rice with wheat straw + zero till sown wheat with Happy Seeder with paddy straw as mulch (R6), puddled transplanted rice + zero till drill sown wheat after partial burning of wheat and paddy straw (R7) and three subplot treatments, i.e., nitrogen (N) levels (100, 125 and 150 kg ha−1), in a rice–wheat system-cropping system during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 in a split plot experiment. Among different treatments, the straw management practices significantly influenced yield and yield attributes as well as the nutrient availability in soil. The application of 100 kg N ha−1 resulted in a significantly higher partial factor productivity (PFPN) of N over other levels of N application. The reduction in wheat yields obtained with conventional sowing of wheat without straw/straw burning/removal cannot be compensated even with an additional 50 kg N ha−1 to that obtained with straw retention or incorporation. In addition to saving N, crop residue recycling also helped to improve soil properties, grain quality, profitability, and air quality considerably.