Thesis Abstract of AGS Students

Response of wheat to rice straw mulching

Thongma Manakul (1994)

A field study was conducted on sandy loam soil at the research station of Multiple Cropping Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University during the cool season of 1990-1991. The objectives of this investigation were to evaluate the effects of rice straw mulching on soil temperature and moisture, and the associated effects on wheat growth and grain yield. As a mean to distinguish the effects of mulching on soil temperature and moisture, a split-plot design was used with four levels of irrigation as main plots and three levels of mulching as subplots, with four replications.

The results revealed that grain yields of wheat were significantly increased by rice straw mulching (21-28% by average) as compared to bare soil. In addition, significant interactions between irrigation and mulching treatments were also detected. The pronounced increases in wheat grain yield under straw mulched plots were associated with the increases in spikes/m2, spikelets/spike as well as grains/spike. It was also found that shoot dry matter and nutrient (N, P and K) uptake by wheat were increased significantly under straw mulched treatments as compared to bare soil. Furthermore, positive responses of wheat growth and grain yields were observed to be associated with a marked reduction of 03.00 pm. soil temperature at the depth of 5 cm. and a better soil moisture condition under rice straw mulching, particularly in non-irrigated and late irrigated treatments.

The results also revealed the possibility of using rice straw as surface mulch in wheat cultivation after rice, particularly in the rainfed paddies of the Upper North where there is about 3 t/ha of rice straw left in the rice fields after rice harvest. However, research on soil management and seeding methods need to be emphasized for more cractical use of rice straw mulching in wheat cultivation.

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