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Conservation agriculture improves yield and potassium balance in intensive rice systems

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Abstract

Intensive rice-based systems are mining soil potassium (K) due to negative K balances. Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices may increase yield and economic return of rice-based systems but there is limited understanding of their effects on K pools and balances. This study evaluated crop productivity and K input–output balances under contrasting rice-based intensive cropping and long-term CA. The comprised three factors- (a) soil disturbance (strip planting, SP and conventional tillage, CT); (b) residue retention (low, LR, 20 cm by plant height and high, HR, 50 cm) and; (c) K application-100% K (recommended dose, RD), 50–75% K of RD (low dose, LD), and 125–150% K of RD (high dose, HD). The long-term experiment initiated in 2010 and soil samples were collected in 2018 after 24th crop and 2020 after 30th crop of triple cropping system. The K balances for the 2018 cropping cycle were negative, ranging from − 47 to − 82 kg ha−1 yr−1. In the 2020 cycle, when the high K dose was increased from 125 to 150% of RD, the negative K balance was significantly reduced in SP-HR-HD (− 19 kg ha−1 yr−1) while 23–35% higher cropping system yield was achieved. Leaching was a significant K loss pathway. Overall results indicate that minimum soil disturbance and increased crop residue retention had significant positive effects on cropping system yield and K balance. However, to achieve neutral K balance in intensive rice-based cropping systems, increased recycling of K from crop residue, higher doses of K addition or lower K losses are needed.

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Fig. 1

Aus rice yield (c and d during 2019 and e during 2020) as affected by tillage, residue and K dose treatments; treatment means followed by the same letter are not significantly different. (SP-strip planting and CT-conventional tillage; HR-high residue and LR-low residue; HD-high K dose, RD-recommended K dose and LD-low K dose. Error bars represent SE (P < 0.05); means (n = 4) shown)

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Acknowledgements

The research was funded by Krishigoveshona Foundation (KGF) in association with Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). We are very grateful to the field and laboratory staff of the Department of Soil Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and the ACIAR Project Implementation Office for their help throughout the resarch.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, 2202, Bangladesh

    M. J. Islam, U. Kumar, M. Maniruzzaman, S. S. Nasreen, M. Jahiruddin & M. M. R. Jahangir

  2. Centre for Sustainable Farming System, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Perth, WA, 6150, Australia

    M. Cheng, M. E. Haque & R. W. Bell

  3. Soil Resource Development Institute, Field Service Wing, Regional Office, Tangail, 1900, Bangladesh

    U. Kumar

  4. On-Farm Research Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Shyampur, Rajshahi, 6212, Bangladesh

    M. J. Islam

  5. On-Farm Research Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Pabna, 6600, Bangladesh

    M. Maniruzzaman

  6. Agronomy Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, 1701, Bangladesh

    S. S. Nasreen

  7. Project Implementation Office, Uttara, Dhaka, 1230, Bangladesh

    M. E. Haque

  8. Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Farmgate, Dhaka, 1215, Bangladesh

    M. B. Hossain

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  1. M. J. Islam
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Contributions

RWB, MJ and MJ, EH and MBH: Research conceptualization, experimental designing, supervision, and article editing JI, MC, UK, MM and SSN: Field and lab work, data processing and analysis JI: Preparation of article draft, data analysis and interpretation

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Correspondence to M. M. R. Jahangir.

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Islam, M.J., Cheng, M., Kumar, U. et al. Conservation agriculture improves yield and potassium balance in intensive rice systems. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 128, 233–250 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-024-10348-7

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