Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE PRACTICES AND IRRIGATION SCHEDULING AFFECTS THE ENERGY DYNAMICS IN A MAIZE PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Sunil Kumar, S.S. Parihar, Man Singh, S.L. Jat, Babu Lal Meena, Panch Ram Mirjha and Hanuman Ram

Abstract

Energy is one of the most valuable inputs in crop production. Therefore, is necessary for efficient management of scarce resources for improving maize production. With this view, a field experiment was conducted during 2011-12 and 2012-13 at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to find out the effect of conservation agriculture practices and irrigation scheduling on energy requirement and dynamics in a maize production system. The finding revealed that conventional tillage requires higher energy input (45,960 MJ/ha) of which diesel consumption alone accounts for 86% of the total energy consumption in land preparation. Raised bed method of crop establishment requires lowest energy input (43,710 MJ/ha). Significantly higher output energy, energy balance, energy use sufficiency, energy output efficiency energy productivity and energy intensiveness was recorded in permanent raised bed with 40% available soil moisture deletion.