Thesis Abstract

Tillage is one of the most energy-intensive field operations in agriculture and has significant impacts on soil health and crop productivity. Conventional tillage practices like ploughing are being increasingly replaced by reduced or no-till options to minimize soil disturbance and improve sustainability. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of different tillage practices including conventional ploughing, disc harrowing, chisel ploughing and no-till on various soil health parameters like organic carbon, infiltration rate, bulk density, etc. and crop yield under local agro-climatic conditions. Field experiments will be conducted on a sandy loam soil at the research farm comparing the tillage treatments in a randomized block design. Soil samples will be analyzed periodically and crop yields recorded to assess the impact of tillage over time. The study aims to provide recommendations for adoption of suitable soil conservation tillage systems by farmers.

Thesis Overview