Mulching techniques: An approach for offsetting soil moisture deficit and enhancing manure mineralization during maize cultivation

[Display omitted] •Plastic mulching improved soil moisture conservation.•The canola residue mulching improved SOM and total nitrogen.•The added FYM had positive effects on soil moisture conservation.•Integration of 50 % FYM and 50 % urea N sources had increased the mineralization. Mulching is an effective technique for soil moisture conservation and increasing mineralization. Four mulching practices (i.e. no-mulch, canola residue, transparent and blue plastic) and five nitrogen (N) treatments (i.e. no-N, 100, 70, 50, 0 % from farmyard manure (FYM) with remaining from urea) to supply a total of 250 kg N ha−1 were assessed under field and lab conditions for soil moisture conservation and quantification of soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN) and mineral nitrogen (min-N) contents in 2013-14. A total of 40 % added water to the soil was lost in no-mulching compared to 7 % been lost in plastic mulching during first week in open shed. Based on moisture losses, three moisture regimes were developed and used in a 56 days incubation experiment. The 60 % relative water holding capacity (RWHC) corresponding to plastic mulching had lowered SOM (1.0 %), and TN (1.6 %) but increased min-N (5.9%) than 40% RWHC (corresponding to no-mulch). Among the nitrogen treatments, 100% FYM had improved SOM and TN, but mineralization was higher in 50% FYM/urea. In field studies, the canola residue mulching had increased the SOM (8.4%), TN (1.2%), min-N (5.2%) and moisture contents (5.7%) over no-mulching. The 100% FYM had higher SOM (2.25 folds), TN (2.79 folds) and moisture content (11.3%) than control. In conclusion, soil fertility was improved with 100% FYM and mineral N with 50% FYM/urea. Thus, 100% FYM or 50 %FYM + 50 % urea sources to provide 250 kg N ha-1 should be used with plastic mulching in weed infested area or residue mulch in weeds free field conditions for improving mineralization and water conservation.