Influence of tillage systems on soil physical properties, spectral response and yield of the bean crop

Abstract

Soil tillage systems alter soil physical attributes and may affect crop growth and yield. In this sense, the objective of this study was to assess the short-term impacts of tillage systems on soil physical properties, spectral response, and yield of the bean crop. The field experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three tillage systems (NT: No-tillage; MT: Minimum tillage; and CT: Conventional tillage) and six replicates. Data collected included soil physical properties (SPR: Soil penetration resistance, SBD: bulk density, and SWC: water content), crop's spectral response (NDVI: Normalized difference vegetation index) through different multispectral sensors, and lastly, grain yield. Results showed that SBD and SPR values were significantly higher in the NT system at 9 days after planting. Moreover, the SPR in the NT system remained significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the 0–10 cm and 20–30 cm depth for all field measurements. Despite that, the highest SPR value (1.76 MPa) was lower than the threshold (2 MPa) that could affect crop growth and yield. Regarding the NDVI, there was no significant influence of tillage systems. Nonetheless, all devices detected the temporal variability of the NDVI throughout the crop growth. Furthermore, grain yield was also not influenced by treatments and reached values of 3543.61, 3605.05, and 3980.90 kg ha−1, respectively for the NT, MT, and CT systems. Finally, our results suggest that at least in the short-term, the NT system could be a feasible alternative to reduce soil mobilization and its negative impacts without compromising the crop yield.