Abstract
Lack of suitable machinery is a major constraint to direct drilling into combine-harvested rice residues due to the heavy straw load, and the presence of loose tough straw deposited by the harvester. Therefore, most rice stubbles are burnt in the mechanised rice–wheat systems of south Asia and Australia, as this is a rapid and cheap option, and allows for quick turn around between crops. As well as loss of organic matter and nutrients, rice stubble burning causes very serious and widespread air pollution in the north-west Indo-Gangetic Plains, where rice–wheat systems predominate. A novel approach with much promise is the Happy Seeder, which combines the stubble mulching and seed drilling functions in the one machine. The stubble is cut and picked up in front of the sowing tynes, which engage bare soil, and deposited behind the seed drill as mulch. Evaluation of the technology over 3 years in replicated experiments and farmers’ fields in Punjab, India, showed that establishment of wheat sown into rice residues with the Happy Seeder was comparable with establishment using conventional methods (straw burnt followed by direct drilling or cultivation before sowing) for sowings around the optimum time into stubbles up to 7.5 t/ha. For late sowings, plant density declined significantly at straw loads above 5 t/ha. The mulch also reduced weed biomass by ~60%, and reduced soil evaporation. Yield of wheat sown around the optimum time into rice residues, using the Happy Seeder, was comparable with or higher than yield after straw removal or burning, in replicated experiments and farmers’ fields, for straw loads up to 9 t/ha. In farmers’ fields there was an average yield increase of 9 and 11% in 2004–05 and 2005–06, respectively, compared with farmer practice. For sowings after the optimum time, yield declined significantly at straw loads greater than 7.5 t/ha. The Happy Seeder offers the means of drilling wheat into rice stubble without burning, eliminating air pollution and loss of nutrients and organic carbon due to burning, at the same time as maintaining or increasing yield.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Happy Seeder wheat establishment was comparable with conventional sowing at optimum time and straw loads up to 7.5 t/ha.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivume0 - Treatment
- Happy Seedere0
- Outcome
- establishmente0
- Direction
- comparablee0
- Value
- 7.5 t/hae0
- Comparator
- conventional methodse0
- Setting
- rice residuese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“establishment of wheat sown into rice residues with the Happy Seeder was comparable with establishment using conventional methods (straw burnt followed by direct drilling or cultivation before sowing) for sowings around the optimum time into stubbles up to 7.5 t/ha”
Claim · model-written summary
Late sowing reduced wheat density significantly above 5 t/ha straw.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- plant densitye0
- Direction
- declinede0
- Value
- 5 t/hae0
- Setting
- late sowingse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“For late sowings, plant density declined significantly at straw loads above 5 t/ha.”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Happy Seeder mulch reduced weed biomass by approximately 60%.
Not reportedInteractorInteractor roleComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The mulch also reduced weed biomass by ~60%, and reduced soil evaporation.”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Happy Seeder mulch reduced soil evaporation.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- mulche0
- Outcome
- soil evaporatione0
- Direction
- reducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The mulch also reduced weed biomass by ~60%, and reduced soil evaporation.”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat yield with Happy Seeder at optimum time was comparable with or higher than after straw removal or burning up to 9 t/ha straw.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivume0
- Treatment
- Happy Seedere0
- Outcome
- Yielde0
- Direction
- comparable with or highere0
- Value
- 9 t/hae0
- Comparator
- straw removal or burninge0
- Setting
- farmers’ fieldse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Yield of wheat sown around the optimum time into rice residues, using the Happy Seeder, was comparable with or higher than yield after straw removal or burning, in replicated experiments and farmers’ fields, for straw loads up to 9 t/ha.”
Claim · model-written summary
Farmers’ fields had a 9% yield increase in 2004–05 against farmer practice.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Value
- 9 and 11%e0
- Qualifier
- 2004–05e0
- Comparator
- farmer practicee0
- Setting
- farmers’ fieldse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In farmers’ fields there was an average yield increase of 9 and 11% in 2004–05 and 2005–06, respectively, compared with farmer practice.”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Wheat yield declined significantly after optimum sowing time at straw loads greater than 7.5 t/ha.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- declinede0
- Value
- 7.5 t/hae0
- Setting
- sowings after the optimum timee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“For sowings after the optimum time, yield declined significantly at straw loads greater than 7.5 t/ha.”
t0“wheat”
The same questions in other papers
mulching · weed · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Results differ
21 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction
- positive
- negative
- negative
23 papers more in this group
See all 27 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.