Long-Term Conservation Agriculture Influences Weed Diversity, Water Productivity, Grain Yield, and Energy Budgeting of Wheat in North-Western Indo-Gangetic Plains

Wheat is grown in an area totalling 31.1 million hectares India. The North-western Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) constitutes the major share of and production wheat India known as belt However, sustaining under declining/lower resource-use efficiency existing rice–wheat cropping system has led to considerations about diversifying this with a pigeon pea–wheat (PWS) IGP little or no information available on impact CA-based PWS weed dynamics, productivity, profitability, efficiencies. Therefore, we studied these aspects long-term (~12 years) conservation agriculture (CA)-based PWS. Treatments were conventional till flatbed (CT), ZT permanent narrow beds (PNBR & PNB), broad (PBBR PBB), flat (PFBR PFB) without residue (R) retention different N levels (75% 100% recommended N). results showed that Shannon–Weiner index Simpson dominance higher CA 2021–2022 than 2010–2011 2015–2016, indicating change diversity over period. Furthermore, Sorensen similarity there was not much difference for 2010–2011. 2015–2016 respectively, only 89% (0.89) 62% (0.62) species common both CT systems, shift 2021–2022. Residue dose decreased density at 30 days after sowing (DAS). All (PFBR100N, PBBR100N, PNBR100N, PFBR75N, PBBR75N, PNBR75N) treatments reduced dry weight compared DAS. grain yield net returns increased by 11.6–14.9% 19.4–23.8% treatments, which PFBR100N PBBR100N superior. PBBR75N systems had water productivity significantly CT. energy treatments. In 12th year, 75% (PFBR75N, resulted partial factor total NPK applied. Contrast analysis comparable crop, water, productivities superior NPK. Thus, bed initial years later can be adopted north-western better suppression, yield, efficiency.