Effect of Different Tillage Operations on Soil Water Storage, Water Use Efficiency and Productivity of Durum Wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) in Semi-arid Region

Background: The low amount of rainfall and high loss of soil water through evaporation during spring; there are the dominant factors affecting crop production in semi-arid region. Methods: A field study was conducted during two cropping seasons of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) to compare the effect three tillage operations viz., no-tillage, minimum tillage and conventional tillage. Result: There was variation in precipitation between the experimental years (dry and rainfall seasons). All the parameters registered significant differences between the cropping seasons. Soil water storage to a depth of 0.4 m was higher under no tillage (NT) and minimum tillage (MT) in the first year as compared to conventional tillage (CT) in the first year. During the second year, the soil water content was same under different tillages. The thousand-kernel weight registered significant differences among the tillage operations viz., no till (36.09-50.36 g), minimum tillage (30.93-46.81 g) and conventional tillage (28.31-45.05 g) in the two seasons, respectively. Under no till treatment water use efficiency was high from grain production. The no till also recorded high grain yield of 1.07 t/ha and 4.7 t/ha during first and second year, respectively. The lack of rain was more detrimental in conventional tillage system as compared to no till and minimum tillage.