Resource conservation strategy for enhancing wheat productivity in Pakistan

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the staple food of Pakistan and its share in country’s gross domestic product (GDP) is 2.6%. It is grown in different cropping systems, such as cotton-wheat, rice-wheat, sugarcane-wheat, maize-wheat, and fallow-wheat. Currently, only 20% of wheat is being planted at optimum planting time (15th October to 15th November). Improved tillage and crop establishment methods present real potential for improving the sustainability and productivity. Shifting towards new interventions of resource conservation and exploitation of available resources is therefore, necessary for enhancing wheat productivity. Delayed harvesting of summer crops with the consequent late planting of wheat; less or no access of the farming community to improved inputs like seed, non-judicious use of fertilizers, less or no control of weeds, inappropriate use of irrigation water, drought stress in rainfed areas, no care of the soil degradation and inefficient and ineffective extension services are some of the major reasons for low and instable productivity of wheat. Use of modern technologies like laser land levelling, zero tillage through happy/combo seeder, bed planting of wheat, crop residue management and wheat straw chopper may be helpful in the time lost between the harvesting of kharif crops and sowing of wheat. By reducing this interval wheat can be sown earlier and yield reduction can be avoided. In addition to these modern technologies, use of early maturing varieties of kharif crops may also be beneficial to achieve in time sowing of wheat crop.