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Navneet Kaur Brar
PhD Student
School School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Location Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga
Phone 02 6933 2749
Fax 02 6933 2812
Email nbrar@csu.edu.au
Project
Nitrogen management of wheat sown into rice stubble in NW India (Punjab)
Summary
The main production system of NW India is an annual rice/wheat rotation. While wheat stubble can be used as animal fodder, the management of rice stubble is more problematic. The time between crops is limited and allowing time for the stubble to breakdown delayed the sowing of wheat beyond the optimum sowing date (15 -20 November), resulting in yield losses of 1% per day delay in sowing (Hobbs and Morris, 1996). To avoid sowing delays and blockage of cultivation implements by rice stubble, farmers burn rice stubble in the field. However, this resulted in nutrient loss and decreases in soil microbial populations. Burning also produces harmful greenhouse gases and particulate emissions, associated with human health problems. To eradicate the problems of burning residues and late sowing of wheat, a machine called the 'Happy Seeder' has been developed which simultaneously cuts and spreads rice stubble on the soil surface (as mulch) while sowing wheat with zero or strip tillage (Sidhu et al., 2007).
Supervisors
Dr Jason Condon, Dr Liz Humphries
Funding source
ACIAR John Allwright Scholarship