Effects of Tillage Systems and Legumes-based Intercropping on Soil Health and Cotton Yield
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55627/pbulletin.005.01.1657Keywords:
conservation farming, microbial activity, nutrient cycling, soil fertility, sustainable agriculture, zero tillageAbstract
Conservation agriculture practices like zero tillage and legume intercropping promote sustainable crop production and improve soil health. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of conventional and zero tillage methods, nitrogen levels and intercropped legumes on soil health and production of cotton. The treatments for the study included: two tillage systems (conventional and zero), two nitrogen levels [(recommended dose (225 kg ha-1) and 20% reduced dose (180 kg ha-1)] and four cropping systems (sole cotton, cotton + mung bean, cotton + cluster bean and cotton + cowpea). Results revealed that cotton growth was better in the plots under conventional tillage and number of bolls per plant and average boll weight were 7% and 4% higher in conventional tillage plots compared with those of zero tillage plots. Seed cotton yield was 7% higher in the conventional tillage plots compared with the yield of zero tillage plots. There was no major effect of nitrogen levels on soil health parameters while growth and yield of cotton crop and intercropped legumes were better in plots where recommended dose of nitrogen was used. The findings of the study also revealed that mung bean grown as intercrop showed maximum number of pods (37) and yield (231 kg ha-1) and its intercropping resulted in 2% more seed cotton yield than the yield obtained under the plots where sole cotton was grown. Soil health was observed to be improved in the plots under zero tillage and bulk density was 17% less in the zero tillage plots. Meanwhile soil moisture, soil N, P and K contents were 3%, 13%, 9% and 2% higher respectively under zero tillage plots than plots under conventional tillage. This study, along with other conservation agriculture practices, can promote zero tillage and legume intercropping for sustainable farming.
References
Abbas, H.G., Mahmood, A. & Ali, Q. (2016). Zero tillage: a potential technology to improve cotton yield. Genetika, 48(2), 761-776.
Adu-Gyamfi, J.J., Myaka, F.A., Sakala, W.D., Odgaard, R., Vesterager, J.M. & Høgh-Jensen, H. (2007). Biological nitrogen fixation and nitrogen and phosphorus budgets in farmer-managed intercrops of maize–pigeonpea in semi-arid southern and eastern Africa. Plant and soil, 295(1), 127-136.
Baritz, R., Wiese, L., Verbeke, I., & Vargas, R. (2017). Voluntary guidelines for sustainable soil management: global action for healthy soils. In International yearbook of soil law and policy 2017 (pp. 17-36). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Bedoussac, L., & Justes, E. (2010). Dynamic analysis of competition and complementarity for light and N use to understand the yield and the protein content of a durum wheat–winter pea intercrop. Plant and soil, 330(1), 37-54.
Bhatt, R. (2017). Zero tillage impacts on soil environment and properties. Journal of Environmental and Agricultural Sciences, 10, 1-19.
Brussaard, L., De Ruiter, P. C., & Brown, G. G. (2007). Soil biodiversity for agricultural sustainability. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, 121(3), 233-244.
Busari, M. A., Kukal, S. S., Kaur, A., Bhatt, R., & Dulazi, A. A. (2015). Conservation tillage impacts on soil, crop and the environment. International soil and water conservation research, 3(2), 119-129.
Dhima, K. V., Lithourgidis, A. S., Vasilakoglou, I. B., & Dordas, C. A. (2007). Competition indices of common vetch and cereal intercrops in two seeding ratio. Field Crops Research, 100(2-3), 249-256.
Dugassa, M. (2023). The role of cereal legume intercropping in soil fertility management: Review. Journal of Agriculture and Aquaculture, 5(1), 4.
Duggan, B. L., Yeates, S. J., & Constable, G. A. (2005). Bed preparation techniques and herbicide tolerance technology for tropical dry season cotton production. Tropical Agriculture, 82(3), 233.
Fustec, J., Lesuffleur, F., Mahieu, S., & Cliquet, J. B. (2010). Nitrogen rhizodeposition of legumes. A review. Agronomy for sustainable development, 30(1), 57-66.
Ganeshamurthy, A. N., Masood Ali, M. A., & Rao, C. S. (2006). Role of pulses in sustaining soil health and crop production. Indian Journal of Fertilisers, 1(12), 29-40.
Ghanbari, A., Dahmardeh, M., Siahsar, B. A., & Ramroudi, M. (2010). Effect of maize (Zea mays L.)-cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) intercropping on light distribution, soil temperature and soil moisture in arid environment. Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment, 8(1), 102-108.
Girma, K., Teal, R., Freeman, K., Boman, R., & Raun, W. (2007). Cotton lint yield and quality as affected by cultivar and long-term applications of N, P, and K fertilizers. In 15th annual 2017 NUE Conference, Baton Rouge, LA (pp. 12-19).
Khan, M. B., & Khaliq, A. (2004). Study of mungbean intercropping in cotton planted with different techniques. Journal of Research (Science), 15(1), 23-31.
Khan, M. B., Akhtar, M., & Khaliq, A. (2001). Effect of planting patterns and different intercropping systems on the productivity of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under irrigated conditions of Faisalabad. International Journal of Agriculture & Biology, 3(4), 432-435.
Koech, R., & Langat, P. (2018). Improving irrigation water use efficiency: A review of advances, challenges and opportunities in the Australian context. Water, 10(12), 1771.
Lai, H., Gao, F., Su, H., Zheng, P., Li, Y., & Yao, H. (2022). Nitrogen distribution and soil microbial community characteristics in a legume–cereal intercropping system: A review. Agronomy, 12(8), 1900.
Lal, R. (2015). Restoring soil quality to mitigate soil degradation. Sustainability, 7(5), 5875-5895.
Li, Y., Li, Z., Chang, S. X., Cui, S., Jagadamma, S., Zhang, Q., & Cai, Y. (2020). Residue retention promotes soil carbon accumulation in minimum tillage systems: Implications for conservation agriculture. Science of the Total Environment, 740, 140147.
Lilienfein, J., Wilcke, W., Vilela, L., do Carmo Lima, S., Thomas, R., & Zech, W. (2000). Effect of no‐tillage and conventional tillage systems on the chemical composition of soil solid phase and soil solution of Brazilian Savanna Oxisols. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 163(4), 411-419.
Lv, L., Gao, Z., Liao, K., Zhu, Q., & Zhu, J. (2023). Impact of conservation tillage on the distribution of soil nutrients with depth. Soil and Tillage Research, 225, 105527.
Manasa, P., Maitra, S., & Reddy, M. D. (2018). Effect of summer maize-legume intercropping system on growth, productivity and competitive ability of crops. International Journal of Management, Technology and Engineering, 8(12), 2871-2875.
Mathew, R. P., Feng, Y., Githinji, L., Ankumah, R., & Balkcom, K. S. (2012). Impact of no‐tillage and conventional tillage systems on soil microbial communities. Applied and Environmental Soil Science, 2012(1), 548620.
Meena, R. S., Das, A., Yadav, G. S., & Lal, R. (Eds.). (2018). Legumes for soil health and sustainable management (p. 541). Singapore: Springer.
Mitchell, J. P., Shrestha, A., Mathesius, K., Scow, K. M., Southard, R. J., Haney, R. L., ... & Horwath, W. R. (2017). Cover cropping and no-tillage improve soil health in an arid irrigated cropping system in California’s San Joaquin Valley, USA. Soil and Tillage Research, 165, 325-335.
Moran, P. J., & Greenberg, S. M. (2008). Winter cover crops and vinegar for early-season weed control in sustainable cotton. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture, 32(3), 483-506.
Moraru, P. I., & Rusu, T. (2012). Effect of tillage systems on soil moisture, soil temperature, soil respiration and production of wheat, maize and soybean crops. Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment, 10, 445-448.
Nawar, A. I., Al-Fraihat, A. H., Khalil, H. E., & El-Ela, A. M. A. (2010). Response of faba bean to tillage systems different regimes of NPK fertilization and plant interspacing. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology, 12, 606-610.
Page, K. L., Dang, Y. P., & Dalal, R. C. (2020). The ability of conservation agriculture to conserve soil organic carbon and the subsequent impact on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and yield. Frontiers in sustainable food systems, 4, 31.
Pakistan Economic Survey 2024-25 (2025). Finance Division. Government of Pakistan. Available at: https://www.finance.gov.pk/survey_2025.html
Prabukumar, G., & Uthayakumar, B. (2006). Use of organics for crops for crop production under rainfed situation. Agriculture Rev, 27(3), 208-215.
Rahmati, M., Eskandari, I., Kouselou, M., Feiziasl, V., Mahdavinia, G. R., Aliasgharzad, N., & McKenzie, B. M. (2020). Changes in soil organic carbon fractions and residence time five years after implementing conventional and conservation tillage practices. Soil and Tillage Research, 200, 104632.
Rajpoot, S. K., Rana, D. S., & Choudhary, A. K. (2018). Bt-cotton–vegetable-based intercropping systems as influenced by crop establishment method and planting geometry of Bt-cotton in Indo-Gangetic plains region. Current Science, 115(3), 516-522.
Rusinamhodzi, L., Murwira, H. K., & Nyamangara, J. (2006). Cotton–cowpea intercropping and its N2 fixation capacity improves yield of a subsequent maize crop under Zimbabwean rain-fed conditions. Plant and soil, 287(1), 327-336.
Saleem, M. F., Ghaffar, A., Rahman, M. H. U., Imran, M., Iqbal, R., Soufan, W., ... & El Sabagh, A. (2022). Effect of short-term zero tillage and legume intercrops on soil quality, agronomic and physiological aspects of cotton under arid climate. Land, 11(2), 289.
Saturnino, H. M., Landers, J. N., & Campos, E. (2002). The environment and zero tillage. CEP, 70760, 533.
Srinivasarao, C., Venkateswarlu, B., Lal, R., Singh, A. K., Vittal, K. P. R., Kundu, S., ... & Singh, S. P. (2012). Long‐term effects of soil fertility management on carbon sequestration in a rice–lentil cropping system of the indo‐gangetic plains. Soil science society of America journal, 76(1), 168-178.
Topa, D., Cara, I. G., & Jităreanu, G. (2021). Long term impact of different tillage systems on carbon pools and stocks, soil bulk density, aggregation and nutrients: A field meta-analysis. Catena, 199, 105102.
Ur Rahman, M. H., Ahmad, I., Wang, D., Fahad, S., Afzal, M., Ghaffar, A., ... & Nasim, W. (2021). Influence of semi-arid environment on radiation use efficiency and other growth attributes of lentil crop. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(11), 13697-13711.
Usman, K., Khan, N., Khan, M. U., Yazdan Saleem, F., & Rashid, A. (2014). Impact of tillage and nitrogen on cotton yield and quality in a wheat-cotton system, Pakistan. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 60(4), 519-530.
Xu, Q., Xiong, K., Chi, Y., & Song, S. (2021). Effects of crop and grass intercropping on the soil environment in the karst area. Sustainability, 13(10), 5484.
Yang, Y., Wu, J., Zhao, S., Mao, Y., Zhang, J., Pan, X., ... & van der Ploeg, M. (2021). Impact of long‐term sub‐soiling tillage on soil porosity and soil physical properties in the soil profile. Land Degradation & Development, 32(10), 2892-2905.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Hamza Raheem, Abdul Ghaffar, Muhammad Habib-ur- Rahman, Muhammad Baqir Hussain, Muhammad Mahmood Iqbal, Muhammad Aqeel Sarwar, Zubair Ahmed, Tayyub Hussain
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
