Table 4 Effect of tillage, irrigation and mulch on green fodder yield (GFY) and dry fodder sorghum yield (DFY) and wheat grain and straw yield (Mg ha−1) and weighted linear soil health index (SHI).

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

Treatments

Sorghum

Wheat

GFY

DFY

SHIRS

Grain

Straw

SHIIW

Tillage

Conventional

53.7

12.7

0.50B

6.10A

8.95

0.40B

Reduced

55.8

14.0

0.51AB

5.94AB

8.73

0.41A

Zero

56.5

14.1

0.52A

5.70B

8.01

0.41A

SEm ± 

4.58

1.21

0.01

0.12

0.40

 

Saline irrigation

100CWR

53.5

13.2

0.49C

5.86

8.36

0.40B

80CWR

54.7

13.6

0.51B

5.98

8.91

0.40B

60CWR

57.6

14.0

0.53A

5.90

8.42

0.42A

SEm ± 

1.94

0.51

0.01

0.13

0.27

0.01

Mulch

No mulch

54.7

13.3

0.49B

5.77B

8.54

0.40B

Mulch

55.9

13.9

0.53A

6.05A

8.59

0.39B

SEm ± 

1.58

0.42

0.01

0.11

0.22

0.42A

  1. Different uppercase letters (A, B) denote significant differences (P < 0.05, Tukey's HSD test). Data are means over 2 years. CWR: Per cent water requirement for wheat, irrigation applied only in wheat, sorghum was grown as rainfed; SEm ± : standard error.
  2. SHI for sorghum (SHIRS) = ∑ [(α-glu score × 0.1) + (MBC score × 0.1) + (ECe score × 0.09) + (KMnO4-N score × 0.09) + (MBN score × 0.07) + (MBCN ratio score × 0.07)].
  3. SHI for wheat (SHIIW) = ∑ [(MBC:MBN ratio score × 0.11) + (ECe score × 0.11) + (MBC score × 0.11) + (Olsen’s P score × 0.11) + (Urease score × 0.08) + (KMnO4-N score × 0.06)].
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