Abstract
Pakistan and other South Asian countries rely on wheat for human nutrition. However, wheat yield is declining in the region due to several biotic and abiotic constraints. Weeds are among the major factors responsible for yield decrease and farmers manage them by intensive tillage practices. Several studies have investigated the impact of various tillage practices on weed management in wheat. However, weed suppression abilities of different mulch types are rarely tested. This three-year (2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22) study investigated the impact of different mulch types (prepared from different crops) on weed infestation, soil properties and productivity of wheat under conventional and conservation production systems at three locations (Multan, Hafizabad and Faisalabad) in Punjab, Pakistan. The mulches included in the study were cotton sticks mulch, mungbean straw mulch, sorghum straw mulch, rice straw mulch, sunflower straw mulch, plastic mulch, and no mulch (as control). The production systems opted for wheat cultivation were conventionally tilled wheat (CTW), zero-tilled wheat (ZTW) and zero-tilled wheat sown with happy seeder machine (HSW). The CTW resulted in the lowest soil bulk density and the highest soil porosity after wheat harvest, while ZTW behaved oppositely. Similarly, incorporation of crop mulches resulted in the highest soil porosity and the lowest soil bulk density, while no-mulch incorporation and plastic mulch recorded the highest bulk density and the lowest soil porosity. Regarding mulches by production systems' interaction, CTW with sorghum straw- and plastic mulches recorded the lowest weed density and biomass, while ZTW with no-mulch recorded the highest weed density and biomass at all locations. The CTW with mungbean straw- and plastic mulches resulted in the highest yield due to significant improvement in yield-related traits. However, ZTW with sorghum straw mulch and no-mulch resulted in the lowest wheat yield. Although sorghum straw mulch suppressed weed infestation, it negatively affected wheat growth. Economic analysis revealed that CTW with mungbean straw mulch resulted in the highest gross and net incomes and benefit:cost ratio (BCR), while the ZTW with rice straw- and sorghum straw mulches produced the lowest gross and net incomes and BCR at all locations. Therefore, mungbean straw mulch is a viable option to improve wheat productivity and net economic returns under different agro-climatic conditions of Punjab, Pakistan.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Conventionally tilled wheat had the lowest soil bulk density after harvest.
- Taxon
- Wheat
Triticum aestivumt0 - Treatment
- CTWe1
- Outcome
- soil bulk densitye1
- Direction
- loweste1
- Comparator
- ZTWe1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e1“The CTW resulted in the lowest soil bulk density and the highest soil porosity after wheat harvest, while ZTW behaved oppositely”
Claim · model-written summary
Conventionally tilled wheat had the highest soil porosity after harvest.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e1“The CTW resulted in the lowest soil bulk density and the highest soil porosity after wheat harvest, while ZTW behaved oppositely”
Claim · model-written summary
Incorporated crop mulches gave the highest soil porosity.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- incorporation of crop mulchese2
- Outcome
- soil porositye2
- Direction
- higheste2
- Comparator
- no-mulch incorporation and plastic mulche2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e2“incorporation of crop mulches resulted in the highest soil porosity and the lowest soil bulk density, while no-mulch incorporation and plastic mulch recorded the highest bulk density and the lowest soil porosity”
Claim · model-written summary
Incorporated crop mulches gave the lowest soil bulk density.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- incorporation of crop mulchese2
- Outcome
- soil bulk densitye2
- Direction
- loweste2
- Comparator
- no-mulch incorporation and plastic mulche2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e2“incorporation of crop mulches resulted in the highest soil porosity and the lowest soil bulk density, while no-mulch incorporation and plastic mulch recorded the highest bulk density and the lowest soil porosity”
Claim · model-written summary
CTW with sorghum straw and plastic mulches had the lowest weed density and biomass.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- sorghum straw- and plastic mulchese3
- Outcome
- weed density and biomasse3
- Direction
- loweste3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e3“CTW with sorghum straw- and plastic mulches recorded the lowest weed density and biomass, while ZTW with no-mulch recorded the highest weed density and biomass at all locations”
Claim · model-written summary
ZTW with no-mulch had the highest weed density and biomass at all locations.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- ZTW with no-mulche3
- Outcome
- weed density and biomasse3
- Direction
- higheste3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e3“CTW with sorghum straw- and plastic mulches recorded the lowest weed density and biomass, while ZTW with no-mulch recorded the highest weed density and biomass at all locations”
Claim · model-written summary
CTW with mungbean straw and plastic mulches gave the highest wheat yield.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- mungbean straw- and plastic mulchese4
- Outcome
- yielde4
- Direction
- higheste4
- Qualifier
- due to significant improvement in yield-related traitse4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e4“The CTW with mungbean straw- and plastic mulches resulted in the highest yield due to significant improvement in yield-related traits”
Claim · model-written summary
ZTW with sorghum straw mulch and no-mulch gave the lowest wheat yield.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- sorghum straw mulch and no-mulche5
- Outcome
- wheat yielde5
- Direction
- loweste5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e5“However, ZTW with sorghum straw mulch and no-mulch resulted in the lowest wheat yield”
Claim · model-written summary
Sorghum straw mulch suppressed weed infestation.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- sorghum straw mulche6
- Outcome
- weed infestatione6
- Direction
- suppressede6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e6“Although sorghum straw mulch suppressed weed infestation, it negatively affected wheat growth”
Claim · model-written summary
Sorghum straw mulch negatively affected wheat growth.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- sorghum straw mulche6
- Outcome
- wheat growthe6
- Direction
- negatively affectede6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e6“Although sorghum straw mulch suppressed weed infestation, it negatively affected wheat growth”
Claim · model-written summary
CTW with mungbean straw mulch gave the highest gross and net incomes and benefit:cost ratio.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- mungbean straw mulche7
- Outcome
- gross and net incomes and benefit:cost ratio (BCR)e7
- Direction
- higheste7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e7“CTW with mungbean straw mulch resulted in the highest gross and net incomes and benefit:cost ratio (BCR)”
Claim · model-written summary
ZTW with rice straw and sorghum straw mulches gave the lowest gross and net incomes and BCR.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- rice straw- and sorghum straw mulchese7
- Outcome
- gross and net incomes and BCRe7
- Direction
- loweste7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e7“while the ZTW with rice straw- and sorghum straw mulches produced the lowest gross and net incomes and BCR at all locations”
Claim · model-written summary
Mungbean straw mulch is recommended as a viable option to improve wheat productivity and net economic returns.
- Taxon
- WheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- mungbean straw mulche7
- Outcome
- wheat productivity and net economic returnse7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“Productivity of Wheat”
e7“mungbean straw mulch is a viable option to improve wheat productivity and net economic returns”
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