IMPACT OF REDUCED TILLAGE ON SOIL CHEMISTRY AND MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES USED AS AN INDICATOR OF FERTILITY IN A SEMI-ARID REGION

Abstract

Tillage is a key element for crop success. Conservation tillage (CT) is frequently mentioned as a useful strategy for enhancing soil quality in agriculture. This studied the effect of reduced tillage on the chemical and microbial properties of the soil in a semi-arid region of northern Africa. At the experimental site in Algeria, soil parameters showed differences between conventional tillage (CT) and non-inversion minimum tillage (MT), with a tillage depth The results show that the effect of reduced tillage is highly significant (P value0.001) on chemical elements compared to organic or mineral management. The Shannon index (H) indicates that the diversity is very good (H5) of the 14 bacterial phyla detected. These results suggest a strategy that minimum tillage (MT) with tine tools better than discs. In order to improve the soil properties, its fertility and the yield of chickpea crops.