Concepts of Tillage

Concepts of tillage

i) Minimum tillage : Minimum tillage is aimed at reducing tillage operations to the minimum necessary for ensuring a good seed bed, rapid germination, a satisfactory stand and favourable growing conditions. 

Tillage can be reduced by two ways.

 a) Omitting operations which dont give much benefit when compared to cost 

 b) Combining operations like seeding and fertilizer application

Advantages

• Improves soil conditions through reduced movement of heavy tillage implements, vehicles i.e., less soil compaction

• saves time and energy 50-58% of reduction in fuel consumption

Disadvantages

• Poor germination of seeds and affect plant stand establishment

• Needs higher nitrogen attributing to slower decomposition of organic matter

• affect nodulation in legumes

• Weeds are major problem & continuous use of herbicide cause pollution hazards

ii) Zero tillage : is an extreme form of minimum tillage where in, primary tillage is totally avoided and secondary tillage is restricted to seed bed preparation in the row zone only. It is also known as No Tillage. 

 Zero tillage is resorted where,

Soils subjected to erosion by wind and water. 

Timing for tillage operation is too short or difficult

Requirement of energy and labour is too high

The organic matter content of soil increases under zero tillage due to slow mineralization. Zero tillage is practiced in Rice-wheat system in India.

In zero tillage, herbicide play a dominant role in weed management. Before sowing, the vegetations are destroyed with broad spectrum, non-selective herbicides with relatively short residual effect (paraquot, glyphosate etc), selective and moderately persistent herbicides (Atrazine, 2,4-D etc) are required during subsequent stages. 

iii) Stubble mulch tillage : is a new approach developed for keeping soil protected at all times either by growing a crop or by crop residues left on the surface during fallow period.

iv) Off season tillage : Preparatory tillage operations that are carried out during the off season before the main crop is cultivated is known as off season tillage. This includes post-harvest tillage and summer ploughing.