Tillage system and cotton residue management effects on soil physical and chemical properties of an Anatolian clay loam sown within a wheat-cotton sequence

Abstract

Soil properties are very important for plant growth and soil conservation. Although soil properties can be influenced by agricultural production systems, this influence has seldom been studied in the semi-arid South East Anatolia region of Turkey. Thus, a three-year experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of tillage and residue management systems in wheat (Triticum durum L.) agriculture following cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) on soil properties. A strip plot design with three replications was used, in which two residue management treatments were collecting cotton stalk (SA) and chopping cotton stalk (SB), and six tillage treatments were conventional tillage-I (CT-I), conventional tillage-II (CT-II), vertical tillage (VT), reduced tillage-I (RT-I), reduced tillage-II (RT-II), no-till ridge planting (RP). While there was no difference at 10–20 and 20–30 cm, the penetration resistance was the lowest for CT-I (1.62 MPa) at 0–10 cm. Although tillage treatments had no significant effect on the soil bulk density at 0–10 and 20–30 cm, the lowest bulk density were obtained in RT-II (1.19 g cm−3) at 10–20 cm. Tillage and residue management treatments did not influence the soil organic matter content and pH.