Yield Performance of Wheat Under Different Practices of Tillage and Integrated Inorganic and Organic Fertilizers

Abstract

Tillage management and fertilizer application are important components of wheat plant growth and productivity. Yet limited data are available on the consequences of simultaneous tillage and integrated fertilization on wheat production and soil chemical characteristics in the heavy soil of Sothern parts of Iraq. Hence, split-split plots were used to conduct a field experiments at two locations. The primary plots were divided into three tillage techniques that are no tillage (NT), tine cultivator (TC) and moldboard plow (MP). Five selected combinations of organic and inorganic nutrient sources were arranged in sub plots including the traditional chemical fertilizer application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (CF), farm yard manure (FYM), poultry manure (PM), 50% CF+FYM and 50% CF+PM application, in addition to control treatment, and three wheat cultivars (Al-Rasheed, IPA-99 and Abu Ghraib-3) were allocated to sub-sub plots. The results showed positive superiority of MP and TC in the growth parameters, yield components, wheat yield and some soil properties at both experimental locations. Likewise, the MP and TC had the lowest bulk density, while MP had the lowest electrical conductivity and the highest soil pH. The results also revealed that organic and inorganic amendments affected plant growth, yield components, grain yield significantly. The 50% CF+PM and 50% CF+FYM gave significantly higher thousand grain weight, spikes number at the 2nd location, wheat yield, and tillers per square meter at the 2nd location. Furthermore, soil bulk density, pH and electrical conductivity were significantly affected by all organic and inorganic treatments. The results also indicated that the highest spikes number, grain yield, chlorophyll content SPAD were recorded by IPA-99 cultivar at both locations. Moreover, under experiment conditions, the flag leaf chlorophyll content was significantly related to grain yield.