TABLE 2.
Description of crop-establishment and tillage management (CETM) practices and P-fertilization practices in maize–wheat cropping system (MWCS).
| Treatments | Crop establishment methods |
Tillage management practices |
|||
| Maize | Wheat | Maize | Wheat | ||
| Main-plot treatments: CETM practices | |||||
|
| |||||
| M1 | Flat-bed | Flat-bed | Conventional tillage | Conventional tillage | |
| M2 | Raised-bed | Raised-bed | Conventional tillage | Zero-tillage | |
| M3 | Flat-bed | Flat-bed | Zero-tillage | Zero-tillage | |
| M4 | Permanent raised-bed | Permanent raised-bed | Zero-tillage | Zero-tillage | |
|
| |||||
| Sub-plot treatments: P-fertilization practices | |||||
|
| |||||
| Treatments | Soil applied-P | Foliar-P | Microbial inoculants | ||
|
| |||||
| S1 | P100 | − | − | ||
| S2 | P50 | 2 FSP | − | ||
| S3 | P50 | − | PSB+AMF | ||
| S4 | P50 | 2 FSP | PSB+AMF | ||
| S5 | P0 | − | − | ||
M1, flat bed–conventional tillage (FBCT) both in maize and wheat; M2, raised bed–CT (RBCT) in maize and RB–zero tillage (RBZT) in wheat; M3, FBZT both in maize and wheat; M4, permanent raised bed–ZT (PRBZT) both in maize and wheat. S1-P100, 100% P as basal; S2-P50 + 2FSP, 50% P as basal (P50) + 2 foliar sprays of phosphorus (2FSP) as DAP (2%) at knee-high stage (KHS) and pre-tasseling stage (PTS) in maize and at tillering stage (TS) and pre-flowering stage (PFS) in wheat; S3-P50 + PSB + AMF, P50 + PSB + AM-fungi (AMF); S4-P50 + PSB + AMF + 2 FSP, P50 + PSB + AMF + 2FSP at KHS and PTS in maize and at TS and PFS in wheat; S5-P0, 100% N and K with no P (P0) as control.