The demand for food, fiber, and shelter is increasing with the continuous increase in the World's population. The rapid industrialization, continuous tillage, and greater use of fossil fuels, fertilizers and pesticides are polluting our natural resources and environment. Food production is mainly dependant upon land and water resources. The rice-wheat system, one of the major cropping systems of the South Asia and parts of East Asia, requires special management.
Rice grows well on puddled compacted soil, whereas wheat grows best on well-drained soils.
The hardpan developed with puddling operation is important for water retention in rice, but compacted soil create problem of waterlogging for wheat. Due to these management differences and traditional cultural cultivation practices in rice-wheat cropping system, the crop yields are low and a lot of irrigation water is also lost. The introduction of new varieties and chemical fertilizes, during green revolution of 60s, resulted in an astonishing increase in the crop yields. Intensive cultivation, conventional soil management practices, and improper use of irrigation water resulted in deterioration of land and water resources leading to poor crop yields. It is imperative to develop the strategies and practices for improvement of land and water productivity and resource conservation in order to meet food requirement of the growing population.