Effect of Different Tillage and Fertilization Interventions on Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Production

Abstract

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is considered the main aspect of food security in the Middle-East including Palestine. This important crop testifies a sharp decline in its productivity due to many reasons including climate change and its consequences in particular. This study was carried out in the eastern slopes of Bethlehem governorate that are classified as arid to semi-arid areas in the growing season 2018/2019. The experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design, for the aim of investigating the effect of different tillage (conventional tillage (CT) and three conservation tillage systems, reduced tillage (RT), conservation tillage at 8 cm (C8) and conservation tillage at 4 cm depth (C4)). In addition to their combination with different fertilization types (sheep manure (M), tri-superphosphate (TSP) and ammonium sulfate (AS) ) and ratios as the following (manure 6m³/dunum (M_6m³), manure 3m³/dunum+ TSP 6.25 kg/dunum+ AS 6.25 kg/dunum (M_3m³/TSP_6.25kg/AS_6.25kg), manure 3m³/dunum+ TSP 12.5 kg/dunum (M_3m³/TSP_12.5kg) and manure 3m³/dunum+ AS 12.5 kg/dunum (M_3m³/AS_12.5kg)) in addition to the control that was tilled without any fertilization treatments. Generally, our results revealed the superiority of the RT× M_6m³ in term of grain yield production. On the other hands, RT× M_3m³/TSP_12.5kg is recommended to increase straw production. This short- term study is definitely not sufficient to reveal the impact of the examined tillage and fertilization practices, but it gives indicators for the possible effects of these practices that need more investigation on longer term.