Yield Response and Economic Benefits of Mungbean and Soybean under Strip Tillage in Patuakhali District of Bangladesh

Abstract

The efficiency of cropping systems is typically low in coastal areas, with tidal non-saline ecosystems being mostly affected. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of strip tillage on the agronomic performance and profitable return of mungbean and soybean cultivation. From February to May 2017, the experiment was conducted in four farmers’ fields at Jalisha village in Dhumki upazilla of Patuakhali district to investigate how strip tillage influences the yield and economic performance of mungbean and soybean in a post-tide ecosystem. The experiment comprised of two tillage methods viz. conventional tillage and strip tillage and two dry season crops viz. mungbean and soybean. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with 4 replications. Results showed that tillage method significantly influenced the yield of mungbean and soybean. Strip tillage performed better in respect of seed yield of both mungbean and soybean as compared to conventional tillage due to higher moisture content taken during the experimental period. The highest plant height at harvest (29.08 cm), plant population per meter row (11.58), number of branches/plant (2.65), pods/plant (11.11), pod length (6.60 cm), number of seeds/pod (7.97), seed yield (1.04 t/ha), Stover yield (1.22 t/ha) were recorded from strip tillage. Soybean produced the maximum values for plant height (30.54 cm), number of plants per meter of row (12.0), pods per plant (15.81), 100-seed weight (7.53 g), seed yield (1.11 t/ha), and stover yield (1.55 t/ha). Mungbean after Lalmota dhan produced the highest number of branches/plant (2.36). The highest pod length (7.75 cm) was produced by mungbean after BRRI dhan77. Interaction effect showed that plant height (33.18 cm), plant population per meter row (12.75), number of pod/plant (16.40), 100-seed weight (7.69 g), seed yield (1.21 t/ha) and stover yield (1.64 t/ha) were found highest from strip tillage with soybean. The highest gross return (Tk. 100080 ha-1), net return (Tk. 67930 ha-1) and BCR (3.21) were obtained from soybean with strip tillage. So, soybean under strip tillage was the best treatment combination in respect of yield and economic performance under post-tide ecosystem. The findings recommend that adopting strip tillage can expand both the yield performance and economic returns of mungbean and soybean, making it a promising practice for sustainable pulse production.