51. Use of Conservation Tillage System in Semiarid Region to Ensure Wheat Food Security in Pakistan

To help bridge the gap between food demand and supply, Pakistan requires an optimum, sustainable, and best adopted strategies to maintain the momentum of the agriculture sector. Investments need to be made in agricultural education, research and development, extension, soil and water resources, and allied infrastructural development which will lead to increase the food production and improve soil and water conservation. Wheat-rice cropping system in Pakistan, particularly in the areas where late-maturing fine-rice varieties are grown, the late-season harvesting of rice crop coupled with conventional land preparation leads to significant delay in wheat sowing and extra usage of irrigation water, and preparatory tillage operations result in a reduction in wheat yields. These practices not only increase the costs of production but also degrade the soil structure and organic matter availability. Conservation tillage technology including earlier wheat plantation, improved water use efficiency which can help to resolve this yield decline when compared with conventional tillage practices in both canal and ground water command areas. In an attempt to test these technologies, a comparative study on the soil and water conservation is tested using four wheat varieties in randomized complete block design (RCBD). Analysis revealed significant differences in all noted parameters including yield-contributing traits due to conservation tillage system compared to where this was not used. It was concluded that out of four exotic and local wheat varieties, the genotype Inqalab-91 proved best yielder in seedling as well as across tillage operation conditions. Additionally, the energy conservation was also done by adopting an integrated, holistic, and pragmatic approach to ensure staple food ­especially in competitive areas of semiarid regions.