Designing suitable conservation tillage and rice straw management practices are vital to conserve limited soil water in sloping terraced lands for growing a second crop like lentil (Lens esculentum L.) after rice (Oryza sativa L.). A field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of tillage, rice straw management and supplemental irrigation on soil physico-chemical properties and productivity of lentil grown in rice fallow land. The maximum soil water content in lentil was observed in plots under rice residue retention as mulch (@ 5 Mg ha⁻¹) which was followed by 20 cm standing rice stubble and residue removal. Rice residue retention and 20 cm standing stubble also increased infiltration rate, cumulative infiltration and sorptivity. Adoption of double no-till (NT) for rice and subsequent lentil crop increased soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration by 2.8%, 3.4% and 7.4% at 0–5, 5–10 and 10–15 cm soil depth, respectively than those under conventional tillage (CT). Soil available nitrogen and phosphorus contents were higher under residue retention either as mulch or standing rice stubble as compared to residue removal. Double NT and added residues (mulch and 20 cm standing stubble) increased soil microbial biomass carbon and dehydrogenase activity than CT without rice residues. Application of one supplemental irrigation did not significantly influence the soil properties. The NT in both rice and lentil enhanced lentil yield by 10–18% than lentil grown after rice under CT. Rice residue retention as mulch @ 5 Mg ha⁻¹ and 20 cm standing rice stubble gave 35–42% and 23–27% higher lentil yield against residue removal over the years, respectively. Therefore, NT in both rice and subsequent lentil along with rice residue retention @ 5 Mg ha⁻¹ as mulch or 20 cm standing stubble would pay substantial dividends for improving the soil health, enhancing lentil productivity and ensuring double cropping in rice fallow areas of Himalayan foothills and in similar agro-ecologies elsewhere.

设计合适的保护性耕作和稻草管理实践对于保护倾斜梯田有限的土壤水分至关重要，以便在水稻 ( Oryza sativa L.) 之后种植第二种作物，如扁豆 ( Lens esculentum L. )。进行了一项田间研究，以评估耕作、稻草管理和补充灌溉对水稻休耕地生长的小扁豆土壤理化性质和生产力的影响。小扁豆的最大土壤含水量在稻渣保留为覆盖物的地块中观察到（@ 5 Mg ha ^-1)，然后是 20 厘米长的稻茬和残渣去除。稻渣滞留和 20 cm 留茬也增加了入渗率、累积入渗和吸水性。水稻和随后的小扁豆作物采用双免耕 (NT)，在 0-5、5-10 和 10-15 厘米土壤深度分别使土壤有机碳 (SOC) 浓度增加 2.8%、3.4% 和 7.4%。那些在常规耕作（CT）下的。与去除残留物相比，在残留物保留下作为覆盖物或立稻茬的土壤有效氮和磷含量较高。双 NT 和添加的残留物（覆盖物和 20 厘米的留茬）比没有水稻残留物的 CT 增加了土壤微生物生物量碳和脱氢酶活性。一种补充灌溉的应用对土壤性质没有显着影响。在 CT 下，水稻和小扁豆中的 NT 均比水稻后生长的小扁豆提高了 10-18% 的产量。稻渣保留为覆盖物@ 5 Mg ha^{多年来， -1}和 20 厘米长的稻茬分别使扁豆产量提高了 35-42% 和 23-27%。^{因此，水稻和随后的小扁豆中的 NT 以及在 5 Mg ha -1}作为覆盖物或 20 厘米的留茬保留的稻米残留物将为改善土壤健康、提高小扁豆生产力和确保喜马拉雅水稻休耕区的双季作物带来巨大的好处山麓和其他类似的农业生态系统。