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RRDI_CropEstablishment_LandPreparation_TertiaryTillage

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Rice-the staple food-Land Preparation

Tertiary Land Preparation

What is the purpose of tertiary land preparation?

  • Lowers the porosity and permeability of soil which destroys the soil structure.
  • Forms a soil plow pan.
  • Reduces loss of water from the soil through percolation.

What is the perfect timing?

  • One day before sowing or planting.

What are the techniques to be used?

  • Soil is flooded and then the tillage is performed (known as puddling).
  • Several rounds of puddling is performed to mix fertilizer well.
  • Then the soil is leveled well, to develop a good seedbed that is well suited for plant growth.

What are the important factors that need special attention?

  • Puddling supports retention of water in the field for a considerable time
  • Levelling ensures a healthy seedbed which provide uniform conditions to the crop.

Puddling

  • Reduces water percolation rates in the soil.
    • Require higher volume (20-40% of the total water requirement) of water.
  • Keeping one day after puddling facilitates
    • downward migration of the fine clay particles
    • fill up the cracks and pores in the plow pan.

Levelling

  • A prerequisite fora  good water and crop management.
  • Facilitates
    • efficient crop establishment and care.
    • irrigation of field with reduced time and water required.
    • uniform distribution of water in the field.
  • If the field is not leveled,
    • water may stagnate in the soil depressions.
    • comparatively higher places may get dry.
    • may result
      • patchy crop emergence
      • poor early growth
      • uneven fertilizer distribution
      • increased weed populations

Puddling

  • Reduces water percolation rates in the soil.
    • Require higher volume (20-40% of the total water requirement) of water.
  • Keeping one day after puddling facilitates
    • downward migration of the fine clay particles
    • fill up the cracks and pores in the plow pan.

Levelling

  • A prerequisite fora  good water and crop management.
  • Facilitates
    • efficient crop establishment and care.
    • irrigation of field with reduced time and water required.
    • uniform distribution of water in the field.
  • If the field is not leveled,
    • water may stagnate in the soil depressions.
    • comparatively higher places may get dry.
    • may result
      • patchy crop emergence
      • poor early growth
      • uneven fertilizer distribution
      • increased weed populations