In the coastal region of the Ganges Delta, rice is the predominant crop during the wet/kharif season and most of the land remains fallow during dry/rabi season due to soil salinity and irrigation water scarcity. Sustainable intensification of coastal saline land needs an improved package of practices which conserves soil moisture, facilitates early crop establishment, ensures profitability and has a positive effect on soil health. To achieve these objectives, we evaluated seven treatments for the potato crop in a randomized complete block design with five replications (farms) during the rabi season of 2017–2018 and again in 2018–2019, viz. T1, ridge planting (control); T2, zero tillage planting with 15 cm (9 t ha⁻¹) paddy straw mulching; T3, T2 + foliar spray of nutrients; T4, zero tillage planting with 20 cm (12 t ha⁻¹) paddy straw mulching; T5, T4 + foliar spray of nutrients; T6, zero tillage planting with 25 cm (15 t ha⁻¹) paddy straw mulching; and T7, T6 + foliar spray of nutrients. Tuber yield was higher in T5, T6 and T7 (37.9–41.5 t ha⁻¹) during the second year over other treatments (21.5–32.3 t ha⁻¹). About 200 mm of irrigation water can be saved by zero tillage planting with paddy straw mulching compared with ridge planting. The tuber quality in terms of crude protein, fat, crude fibre and carbohydrate was better under zero tillage planting with paddy straw mulching. The cost of cultivation of potato was reduced by about 27% due to zero tillage planting (US$ 1211.6 ha⁻¹) compared with conventional tillage, intensive ridge planting practice (US$ 1660.4 ha⁻¹). Zero tillage planting with paddy straw mulching resulted in a net return of US$ 1779.2 ha⁻¹, whereas under conventional cultivation, it was US$ 589.6 ha⁻¹. Zero tillage planting of potato with paddy straw mulching reduced soil salinity (ECe) from 5 to 3 dS m⁻¹, conserved soil moisture (4–8%), improved soil bulk density from 1.49 to 1.44 Mg m⁻³ and increased soil organic carbon from 0.39 to 0.44%. The results of this study suggest that zero tillage potato cultivation in the dry/rabi season can increase cropping intensity in the salt-affected Ganges Delta and increase income of the farmers.

在恒河三角洲的沿海地区，稻米是湿/哈里夫季节的主要农作物，由于土壤盐分和灌溉水的稀缺，大部分土地在干旱/狂犬病季节仍处于休耕状态。沿海盐碱地的可持续集约化需要改进措施，以保护土壤水分，促进早期作物种植，确保盈利并对土壤健康产生积极影响。为了实现这些目标，我们在2017-2018年狂犬病季节以及2018-2019年狂犬病季节，以随机完整区组设计评估了七种马铃薯作物的处理方法，并进行了五次重复（农场）。T1，垄栽（对照）；T2，零耕地种植15厘米（9吨公顷^-1）稻草覆盖；T3，T2 +叶面喷施养分；T4，以20厘米（12吨公顷^-1）的稻草覆盖物进行零耕种；T5，T4 +叶面喷施养分；T6，以25厘米（15吨公顷^-1）的稻草覆盖物进行零耕种；和T7，T6 +叶面喷施养分。第二年，T5，T6和T7的块茎产量更高（37.9–41.5 t ha ^-1），高于其他处理方式（21.5–32.3 t ha ^-1））。与垄垄种植相比，稻草覆盖地零耕种可节省约200毫米的灌溉水。在稻草覆盖的零耕作下，块茎的粗蛋白，脂肪，粗纤维和碳水化合物的质量更好。马铃薯的种植成本降低约27％，原因是免耕播种（US $1211.6公顷^-1与传统耕作，集约化垄种植实践（US $1660.4公顷相比）^-1）。稻草覆盖覆盖的零耕种净收益为1779.2公顷^-1美元，而常规耕作为589.6公顷^-1美元。稻草覆盖的马铃薯零耕种使土壤盐度（ECe）从5 dS m ^-1降低到3 dS m ^-1，可保持土壤水分（4-8％），将土壤容重从1.49 Mg m ^-3提高到1.44 Mg m ^-3，将土壤有机碳从0.39％提高到0.44％。这项研究的结果表明，在干旱/狂犬病季节零耕种马铃薯种植可以增加受盐影响的恒河三角洲的种植强度，并增加农民的收入。