Table 1 Influence of tillage, irrigation and mulch on soil pHs, ECe (dS m−1), Walkley and Black oxidizable organic C (WBOC; g kg−1) and KMnO4 oxidizable N, Olsen’s P and NH4OAc extractable K (kg ha−1).

From: Deficit saline water irrigation under reduced tillage and residue mulch improves soil health in sorghum-wheat cropping system in semi-arid region

Treatments

After sorghum

After wheat

pHs

ECe

WBOC

N

P

K

pHs

ECe

WBOC

N

P

K

Tillage

Conventional

7.96

4.79

3.85

85.6

23.0B

244.4

7.79

7.90

4.23

90.6

19.4B

214.4B

Reduced

7.90

4.54

3.98

90.9

25.0A

241.3

7.76

7.83

4.20

91.9

23.3A

226.2A

Zero

7.93

4.28

3.99

86.3

22.6B

250.2

7.76

7.18

4.44

91.8

21.0B

230.1A

SEm ± 

0.06

0.25

0.19

2.12

0.82

4.25

0.03

0.35

0.25

1.84

1.06

5.69

Saline irrigation

100CWR

7.94

4.97A

3.88

89.8

23.8

241.8B

7.77

8.23A

4.30

94.4A

20.7B

222.2

80CWR

7.95

4.40B

3.96

87.2

24.0

240.7B

7.78

7.65B

4.20

89.9B

20.0B

220.5

60CWR

7.91

4.24B

3.99

85.9

22.8

255.2A

7.77

7.04C

4.37

90.0B

23.1A

227.7

SEm ± 

0.04

0.18

0.15

1.62

0.65

5.39

0.04

0.23

0.16

1.66

1.02

5.01

Rice straw mulch

No mulch

7.92

4.54

3.88

85.2B

23.2

241.4

7.77

7.92A

4.17

88.1B

20.6

218.2B

Mulch

7.94

4.53

4.01

90.0A***

23.9

249.3

7.77

7.35B

4.41

94.8A***

21.9

229.3A

SEm ± 

0.03

0.15

0.12

1.32

0.53

4.40

0.03

0.19

0.13

1.36

0.83

4.09

  1. Different uppercase letters (A, B) denote significant differences (** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001, Tukey's HSD test). Data are means over 2 years. CWR: Percent water requirement for wheat, irrigation applied only in wheat, sorghum was grown as rainfed; SEm ± : standard error.
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