Effects Of Conservation Tillage Research Articles

Effect of conservation tillage and weed management practices on yield and yield attributes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Effect of conservation tillage and weed management practices on yield and yield attributes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Effect of conservation tillage and weed management practices on growth characterstics of plants wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Effect of conservation tillage and weed management practices on growth characterstics of plants wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Long-term conservation tillage changes the diversity, assembly and network stability of the diazotrophic community

Diazotrophs make important contributions to nitrogen (N) inputs in agricultural ecosystems. However, strong evidence on the effects of conservation tillage (CT) on the coexistence and assembly of diazotrophic communities and related mechanisms is lacking. Here, we studied the impacts of long-term CT on the coexistence and assembly patterns of diazotrophic communities. Compared to traditional tillage (CK), CT significantly reduced both the N fixation rate (0–10 cm) and the alpha diversity of the diazotrophic community while increasing the density of the diazotrophic and overall bacterial communities. CT also reduced the competitive relationships within the diazotrophic community and enhanced network stability. Furthermore, diazotroph assembly was dominated by deterministic processes (68.63%) under CK, and stochastic processes (58.82%) under CT. Soil depth and total N (TN) were identified as crucial predictors shaping the assembly processes of diazotrophic communities under different tillage practices. The relative influence of stochastic processes on the diazotrophic community under CT varied more significantly with increasing soil depth. Overall, tillage practices and soil depth had significant influences on the coexistence and assembly processes of the soil diazotrophic community. Moreover, long-term CT may impact the selection of N fixation agents and the specific taxa associated with N fixers. Our results indicated that in CT systems, relatively sufficient nutrient availability leads to a reduction in interspecies competition, an increase in network stability, and a greater influence of stochastic processes on community assembly. These findings may help us better understand biological N fixation in sustainable agricultural systems.

Effect of conservation tillage on soil and water conservation, yield and yield components of Maize (Zea mays L.) in South Ari District, Southern Ethiopia

Reduced tillage is one of the options to combat land degradation problems. The study aims to examine the impacts of tillage practices on selected soil physicochemical properties, soil loss, and maize yield and yield components. Four treatments—zero, twice, and strip tillage—as well as farmers' practices, were set up in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Then, soil moisture, soil loss, and yield and yield components of maize data were collected. The findings show that, when compared to conventional tillage, conservation tillage improves soil moisture and decreases soil loss during and after crop development. The study found that implementing reduced, or zero tillage practices resulted in higher maize yields and long-term economic benefits for farmers compared to conventional and strip tillage practices. In addition, the current research demonstrated that, in comparison to strip tillage and conventional tillage, adopting reduced tillage and zero tillage increased maize yield and yield components with greater long-term economic benefits to farmers. The current findings also showed that adopting reduced tillage and zero tillage boosted maize yield and yield components, with higher economic benefits to farmers in the long run as compared to strip tillage and conventional tillage. Although zero tillage attributed to less grain yield, it resulted in higher economic benefits to farmers and saved 44.84% of soil loss relative to conventional tillage. The outcome of the economic evaluation unequivocally demonstrated that reduced tillage is the best approach, but zero tillage, strip tillage, and reduced tillage are all superior and advised for farmers. Hence, farmers can use either zero tillage or reduced tillage, depending on their investment capital. But to get considerable changes in soil and water balances, other soil physicochemical properties, and crop yield. Similar studies must be carried out on permanent field plots for longer than 2 years in the future.

Conservation tillage impacts on soil biodiversity: Additional insights from the Collembola-associated bacteria

The effects of conservation tillage on soil biodiversity are crucial for maintaining the balance and stability of agroecosystems, but research on soil animal-associated microbiota, an important compartment of soil biodiversity in addition to soil microbiota and soil animals, is still lacking. Here, we used 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing to investigate the diversity and composition of bacteria associated with two Collembola species (Entomobrya sibirica and Ceratophysella sp.) of different life forms under four different tillage practices: (1) conventional moldboard plow tillage with no straw mulch (CT), (2) moldboard plow tillage with straw mulch (MT), (3) no-tillage with straw cover (NT) and (4) no-tillage with straw cover and crop rotation (NTR). We found that conservation tillage increased Collembola abundance and Collembola-associated bacterial diversity, with no significant effect on soil bacteria. Ceratophysella sp. seemed to be more adapted to NTR, whereas E. sibirica was more adapted to MT. Interestingly, Collembola abundance was positively correlated with its associated bacterial diversity, with the relative abundance of Sphingomonas and Pelomonas being positively correlated, but Pseudomonas and Rhodococcus being negatively correlated with Collembola abundance. We identified Methylobacterium-Methtylorubrum and Streptomyces as indicator bacteria for the MT treatment, but no common indicator between the two Collembola species in the NTR treatment. Conservation tillage significantly affected the composition and network structure of Collembola-associated bacteria, particularly in the MT and NTR treatments. Our study suggests that conservation tillage practices affect at least two of the three compartments of soil biodiversity – soil microbiota, soil animals and soil-animal associated microbiota. If only one tillage practice is preferred, we recommend the no-tillage with straw mulch and rotation (NTR) as the most optimal strategy for conserving soil biodiversity.

Effects of long-term conservation tillage on N2 and N2O emission rates and N2O emission microbial pathways in Mollisols

Conservation tillage is widely used in farmland management for soil carbon sequestration, but it can also lead to potential emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O). Therefore, our study is aimed to investigate the effects of 15 years of no-tillage combined with four straw mulching levels of 0 % (NT0), 33 % (NT33), 67 % (NT67), and 100 % (NT100) compared to ridge tillage (RT) on the rates of N2O and N2 emissions and the respective contributions of four microbial pathways to N2O emissions. The incubation experiments were conducted at two different moisture levels (55 % and 100 % WFPS) by using dicyandiamide inhibition and 15N-labeling techniques. Soil samples were collected from the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm soil depths across three maize growth stages: seedling, jointing, and maturity. Our results showed that conservation tillage significantly decreased the N2O + N2 emission at 55 % WFPS, but it has a reverse influence in N2O + N2 emission at 100 % WFPS. The proportion of N2O in gaseous N loss were higher at 100 % WFPS than at 55 % WFPS. Among the four microbial pathways for N2O emissions, autotrophic nitrification was the dominant pathway 55 %WFPS. The contribution of autotrophic nitrification remarkably decreased, co-denitrification and denitrification increased at 100 %WFPS. Overall, at 100 % WFPS, N2O emissions from all major microbial pathways were positively correlated with GWC, temperature, TC, TN, NH4+-N, and NO3−-N, but negatively correlated with soil pH and C/N ratios. Our results suggest that long-term conservation tillage increases N2O and N2 emissions from the soil under water-saturated conditions by regulating soil nutrient levels, soil moisture, and microbial pathways. Therefore, we should consider the impact of conservation tillage on N2O emission risk when we attach importance to the role of conservation tillage in improving soil quality and increasing crop yields.

Effects of Conservation Tillage on Herbicide Residues in Maize Field Soil

It is well known that conservation tillage can improve soil quality, such as soil organic matters. However, limited information on the conservation tillage impacts on pesticides has been reported, which is important to food security. To explore the specific effects of conservation tillage on herbicide residues in soils, parallel soil samples from seven sites under traditional tillage and conservation tillage were collected, respectively, in Jilin Province, Northeast China. The soil properties and characteristics of three herbicides(acetochlor, atrazine, and MCPA-Na) were measured. The results showed that conservation tillage significantly increased total organic carbon(TOC) content, soil water content, and the average particle size of soil aggregates[(2.1±0.1)%, (19.1±1.2)%, and (82.2±3.0) μm increased to(2.9±0.3)%, (22.3±1.5)%, and (97.2±4.2) μm, respectively]. The results also showed that different herbicides were correlated with different soil properties. For example, TOC content and soil water content were positively correlated with atrazine, whereas micro-aggregate content was negatively correlated with acetochlor. Therefore, the effects of conservation tillage on the three herbicide residues were different. For instance, conservation tillage significantly increased the residual amount of atrazine[from(3.8±0.3) ng·g-1 to (17.7±3.0) ng·g-1] in the Dongfeng site by increasing TOC content, whereas it significantly reduced the residual amount of acetochlor[from (50.6±10.3) ng·g-1 to (9.2±2.5) ng·g-1] in the Dehui site by increasing the average particle size of soil aggregates. Generally, this study suggests conservation tillage indeed affected herbicide residues in soils by affecting soil properties. However, the influence of conservation tillage on herbicide residue was dependent on the types of herbicides due to the complex effects of different soil properties on herbicide migration and degradation.

Modification of the RothC model to evaluate the inconsistent effect of conservation tillage on SOC stock and a suggestion of a national-scale assessment framework

Simulation of conservation tillage effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock on the national scale is essential for Tier 3 level greenhouse gas inventory in the agricultural sector. However, the conservation tillage effects varied depending on different soil conditions, potentially leading to inaccurate national assessments. This study aimed to propose a framework for estimating the national scale impact of conservation tillage on SOC. As even in the most commonly used SOC dynamic model, the Rothamsted Carbon Model (RothC), does not reflect the conservation tillage effect in an explicit way, we modified it by developing the tillage rate modifiers (TRMs). First, we investigated the conditions for the inconsistent conservation tillage effects using the decision tree analysis based on 210 field experiment data from the mid-latitude region. The results highlighted that soil sand content and the existing SOC stock were the main factors driving the inconsistencies. After we categorized into four distinctive conditions, the TRMs for each condition were parameterized using a genetic algorithm. The average TRMs were 0.88 in the soils with sand content >37.6 % and 1.58 in the soils with sand content ≤37.6 %, indicating that conservation tillage is more effective in coarse-textured soil, and there is a risk of decreasing SOC stock in the latter condition. Using the modified RothC model, a three-step national-scale simulation framework was suggested: compiling country-specific data, establishing baseline and conservation tillage scenarios, and modeling conservation tillage effects with uncertainty analysis. Our approach also defined the maximum conservation tillage area, factoring in local cropping systems and soil conditions. Our refined RothC model with TRMs provides a nuanced understanding of conservation tillage effects, emphasizing the role of soil characteristics. The proposed national-scale simulation framework offers a reliable tool for evaluating conservation tillage impact on SOC, ensuring more accurate greenhouse gas inventories in agriculture.

Effects of conservation tillage with straw mulching on annual yield and water utilization in a winter wheat‐summer maize cropping system on the North China Plain

AbstractUnderstanding the combination of conservation tillage and straw mulching on water utilization is important for developing water management strategies in arid and semiarid areas. Few studies have investigated the effects of different tillage treatments on precipitation efficiency in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)‐summer maize (Zea mays L.) cropping systems. A 3‐year field experiment with five treatments, that is, conventional tillage (CT), no‐tillage, no‐tillage with straw mulching (NT + S), subsoiling tillage, and subsoiling tillage with straw mulching (ST + S), was conducted. The objective was to investigate how conservation tillage with straw mulching affected soil water storage (SWC), precipitation storage efficiency (PSE), water consumption, grain yield, water use efficiency (WUE), and precipitation use efficiency (PUE) in a winter wheat‐summer maize cropping system. The results indicated that the ST + S treatment increased SWC by 10.1% and 8.3% in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016, respectively. The average PSE over the 3 years under the ST + S treatment was significantly higher, by 9.1% and 6.6%, than that under the CT treatment during the respective wheat and maize seasons. Compared with CT, the average annual yield under the NT + S treatment and ST + S treatment increased by 8.5% and 14.4%, respectively. In the winter wheat‐summer maize system, the NT + S and ST + S treatments significantly increased the annual WUE and PUE. The annual average PUE under the ST + S treatment was significantly higher, by 14.1%, than that under CT over the 3 years. Therefore, the ST + S treatment was more beneficial than the other treatments for increasing yield, WUE and PUE in sandy loam soil on the North China Plain.

Effects of conservation tillage on soil enzyme activities of global cultivated land: A meta-analysis

The negative impacts of conventional agriculture and the imperative to adopt conservation tillage garnered significant attention. However, the effects of conservation tillage on soil enzyme activities still lack comprehensive cognition. Here, we collected 14,308 pairwise observations from 369 publications worldwide to systematically evaluate the effects of different conservation tillage practices (reduced tillage (T), reduced tillage with straw return (TS), reduced tillage with straw mulch return (TSO), no-tillage (NT), no-tillage with straw return (NTS), and no-tillage with straw mulch return (NTSO)) on the activities of 35 enzymes in soil. The results showed that: (1) the effect of conservation tillage on soil enzyme activity varied by enzyme type, except for peroxidase (−12.34%), which showed an overall significant positive effect (10.28–89.76%); (2) the NTS and TS demonstrated strong potential to improve soil enzyme activities by increasing a wide variety of soil enzyme activities (12–15) and efficacy (9.76–75.56%) than other conservation tillage (8.60–68.68%); (3) in addition, the effect of conservation tillage on soil enzyme activity was regulated by soil depth, crop type, years of conservation tillage, climate (mean annual precipitation and temperature), and soil physicochemical properties (e.g., pH, bulk density, electrical conductivity, organic matter, ammonium nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, total potassium, available potassium, etc.). Overall, our quantitative analysis clearly suggests that conservation tillage is an effective measure for improving soil enzyme activity on global croplands, where combination of reduced tillage or no-till with straw return are considered to have great potential and promise. The results contribute to better comprehend the effects of conservation tillage on soil activity and provide a valuable insight for agricultural management.

Assessing the Effects of Conservation Tillage and In-Situ Crop Residue Management on Crop Yield and Soil Properties in Rice–Wheat Cropping System

Rice–wheat cropping system (RWCS) is a dominant agricultural practice in the Indo-Gangetic plains, particularly in the North–Western states of India. The prevalent practice of open burning of rice residue, driven by the need for timely land preparation, poses severe environmental and health consequences, including nutrient loss, greenhouse gas emissions, high concentrations of particulate matter (PM), and disruption of the ecological cycle. This study focuses on implementing effective management practices in the RWCS through tillage-based crop establishment, residue retention, and incorporation methods. The objective is to improve crop yield and its attributes by enhancing soil health properties. A split-plot experimental design was practiced with four different treatments, zero-tillage with manual harvesting (ZT), Happy Seeder with combine harvester (HS), Happy Seeder with Mulcher and combine harvesting, and conventional tillage (CT). By evaluating soil nutrient content, including organic carbon (OC), N, P, and K, at a 0–10 cm depth, the study demonstrates the superiority of the mulcher with Happy Seeder (MHS), which significantly increased soil nutrient levels by 105, 59, 102, and 97%, respectively, compared to conventional tilled broadcasted wheat (CT). Furthermore, the MHS treatment exhibited the highest yield of 56.8 q ha−1, outperforming the yield of 43.6 q ha−1 recorded under conventional tilled broadcasted wheat. These findings underscore the critical role of surface residue retention with MHS in ensuring crop productivity and overall production sustainability of the RWCS in Haryana, India. Moreover, effective rice residue management holds long-term implications for agricultural resilience, farm economics, environmental conservation, and human health. It emphasizes the importance of adopting sustainable practices, prioritizing research efforts, and advocating for policies that ensure the prolonged sustainability and productivity of the RWCS while safeguarding environmental well-being.

Conservation tillage practices affect soil microbial diversity and composition in experimental fields.

Conservation tillage is a widely used technique worldwide, but the effects of conservation tillage on bacterial community structure are poorly understood. We explored proportional alterations in the bacterial community under different tillage treatments. Hence, this study utilized high-throughput sequencing technique to investigate the structure and assembly processes of microbial communities in different tillage treatments. Tillage treatments included tillage no-straw retention (CntWt), no-tillage with straw retention (CntWntS), tillage with straw retention (CntWtS), no-tillage and no-straw retention (CntWnt). The influence of tillage practices on soil bacterial communities was investigated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Different tillage methods and straw retention systems significantly influenced soil parameters such as total potassium and pH were not affected by tillage practices, while straw retention significantly affected soil parameters including nitrogen content, available phosphorus and available potassium. Straw retention decreased bacterial diversity while increased bacterial richness. The effect of straw retention and tillage on bacterial communities was greater than with no tillage. Phylogenetic β-diversity analysis showed that deterministic homogeneous selection processes were dominated, while stochastic processes were more pronounced in tillage without straw retention. Ecological network analysis showed that microbial community correlation was increased in CntWntS and CntWnt. Straw retention treatment significantly increased the relative abundance of bacterial taxa Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and OD1, while Nitrospirae, Actinobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia significantly decreased. The conservation tillage practices significantly affect soil properties, bacterial composition, and assembly processes; however, further studies are required to investigate the impact of different crops, tillage practices and physiological characteristics on bacterial community structure and functions.

Effect of conservation tillage on seedling emergence and crop growth-evidences from UAV observations

Effect of conservation tillage on seedling emergence and crop growth-evidences from UAV observations

Effects of precipitation variability and conservation tillage on soil moisture, yield and quality of silage maize

To cope with the change of precipitation pattern, we explored the effects of conservation tillage and precipitation variability on soil moisture status and silage maize productivity, seeking solutions to improve the yield and quality of maize in the karst areas of China. In this study, precipitation variability and conservation tillage were jointly analyzed by precipitation levels (normal precipitation, 30% lower and 30% greater than normal precipitation), tillage methods (conventional tillage and no-tillage) and cover crop mulching (mulching and no mulching). It was found that no tillage (NT) increased the maize yield by 12.85% compared with the conventional tillage (CT) treatments. Above-normal precipitation treatments did not significantly increase biomass and soil water content across different fertility stages, but below-normal precipitation treatments reduced maize yield, crude protein (CP) content and soil water content at all soil levels. CT treatment significantly increased soil water content in the tillage layer (0–40 cm), but NT treatment significantly increased dry matter yield, plant height and CP content at harvest by 10.99, 3.41, 5.62%. Cover crop mulching significantly increased maize yield by 8.26% and soil moisture content at the seedling stage in 0–40 cm soil by 2.76 and 2.52%. The three-way interaction effects involving precipitation levels, tillage methods and cover crop mulching were significant for maize yield, CP content and soil water content (p < 0.05). In addition, this study found that soil water content was positively correlated with crude protein content of maize (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study concluded that a combination of NT and cover crop mulching should be used to mitigate maize production risks caused by precipitation variability in the karst areas.

Long‐term conservation and conventional tillage systems impact physical and biochemical soil health indicators in a corn–soybean rotation

AbstractAgricultural management practices tend to influence soil structure stabilization, mediating many physical, chemical, and biological processes in soils. Therefore, understanding the long‐term effects of management practices on various soil health indicators is crucial to develop sustainable agricultural practices. This study aimed to assess the long‐term conventional and conservation tillage effects on soil physical (aggregates) and biochemical (soil organic carbon [SOC], enzymes, and microbial biomass) parameters under a range of tillage practices in a corn–soybean rotation in Nebraska. The experiment was conducted at two locations as follows: (1) Concord site (36 years) with the three treatments: no‐till (NT), disk, and moldboard plow; and (2) Lincoln site (40 years) with four tillage treatments: NT, double disk, chisel, and moldboard plow. Results showed that NT at both sites significantly increased SOC concentration by 24%–66% compared to moldboard plow. Similarly, double disk tillage increased SOC by 54% compared to the moldboard plow at the Lincoln site. Arylsulfatase, β‐glucosidase, hot‐ and cold‐water extractable carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and nitrogen concentrations significantly decreased with the increased tillage intensity at both sites. This implies that the NT increased these parameters compared to the disk and moldboard plow. However, aggregate size fraction 0.053–0.25 mm was the only parameter higher under moldboard plow (20.8%) than NT. Overall, the results from these long‐term studies indicate that NT, and to a lesser extent the reduced tillage practice of disk till, can improve soil health more than conventional tillage practices under a corn–soybean cropping system, suggesting the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices to improve soil health.

Understanding how conservation tillage promotes soil carbon accumulation: Insights into extracellular enzyme activities and carbon flows between aggregate fractions

Conservation tillage has been shown to mitigate climate change by promoting the sequestration of soil carbon (C) in agroecosystems. However, knowledge on how conservation tillage accumulates soil organic C (SOC), especially at the aggregate scale, remains limited. This study aimed to clarify the effects of conservation tillage on SOC accumulation by measuring hydrolytic and oxidative enzyme activities and C mineralization in aggregates and developing an extended scheme of C flows between aggregate fractions using the 13C natural abundance (δ13C) method. Topsoils (0–10 cm) were sampled from a 21-year tillage experiment located in the Loess Plateau of China. Compared with conventional (CT) and reduced tillage with straw removal (RT), no-till (NT) and subsoiling with straw mulching (SS) enhanced the proportions of macro-aggregates (> 0.25 mm) (by 12–26%) and SOC contents in bulk soils and all aggregate fractions (by 12–53%). In bulk soils and all aggregate fractions, SOC mineralization and the activities of hydrolases (β-1,4-glucosidase, β-acetylglucosaminidase, β-xylosidase, and cellobiohydrolase) and oxidases (peroxidase and phenol oxidase) were 9–35% and 8–56% lower, respectively, under NT and SS than under CT and RT. Partial least squares path model revealed that reductions in the activities of hydrolases and oxidases and increases in macro-aggregation decreased SOC mineralization in bulk soils and macro-aggregates. Furthermore, Δ13C values (aggregate-associated δ13C − bulk-soil δ13C) increased with decreasing size of soil aggregates, suggesting that C is younger in larger aggregates than in smaller aggregates. The probability of C flows from large to small soil aggregates was lower under NT and SS than under CT and RT, indicating that young SOC with low rates of decomposition in macro-aggregates was better protected under NT and SS. Overall, NT and SS enhanced SOC accumulation in macro-aggregates by decreasing the activities of hydrolases and oxidases and C flows from macro- to micro-aggregates, which promoted C sequestration in soils. The present study provides improved insights into the mechanism and prediction of soil C accumulation under conservation tillage.

Conservation tillage effects on European crop yields: A meta-analysis

Across Europe, many studies have investigated conservation tillage techniques, which are generally implemented as means of erosion control. Farmers are reluctant in shifting from their traditional tillage/conventional tillage (CT) methods to conservation tillage, their motive being driven by economic reasons stemming from higher crop yields under CT. While, no-till (NT), reduced tillage and minimum tillage have been widely covered by studies across Europe, little is done on ridge (RT) and strip tillage (ST) which might be a compromise between CT and NT. Thus, this study was set out to assess the impact of RT and ST on crop yields within Europe in comparison with NT and CT. The hypothesis tested was that unlike NT, RT and ST significantly increases European crop yields. This was tested by conducting a meta-analysis of 128 studies, based on 624 crop yield observations from 21 European countries. We analysed the influence of crop rotation, crop type, texture, climate, tillage depth, residue retention, and duration of experimentation on the relative yield (response ratio), i.e., yield under NT/RT/ST over yield under CT. In assessing RT and ST, ridge height and strip tilled depth were added. The results show that, on average, NT within Europe resulted in 5.1% reduction in crop yields while RT and ST each led to a 5% increase in crop yield over CT. The major moderator responsible for the increase in yields are ridge heights of at least 20 cm and, loam soil texture on ridges, and strips with tillage depth of 8 cm and a loamy sand texture on strips. Grain maize was the most negatively affected crop type under all conservation tillage techniques with yield reductions of 8% under NT and 18% under RT, except under ST where it showed a 7% increase.

Interactive Effect of Conservation Tillage, Potassium and Magnesium Sulphate Fertilization on Dry Matter Production, Physiological and Yield Parameters, and Yield of Grain Cowpea

This study conducted in Kerala, evaluated the role of conservation tillage (zero tillage (ZT), minimum tillage (MT), and conventional tillage (CT)) with five treatment combination of potassium (12 kg/ha, 20 kg/ha, 40 kg/ha) and magnesium sulphate (60 kg/ha and 80 kg/ha) on total DMP, physiology and grain yield of the test variety Anaswara (cowpea). In pot culture study, application of K: MgSO4, 10:80 kg/ha resulted in highest total chlorophyll content. While higher chlorophyll a content was obtained with the levels 20:60 kg/ha, and highest total DMP was recorded with the application at 40:100 kg/ha. Different levels of K and MgSO4 nutrition positively influenced 100 seed weight and grain yield, while there found no significant difference on chlorophyll b content, days to flowering, and grains/pod with any of the treatments imposed. Higher values for test weight and grain yield were recorded with K: MgSO4 40:60 kg/ha. In field experiment, tillage practices failed to produce notable difference in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll contents, chlorophyll a/b ratio, grains per pod and test weight. Early flowering (45 DAS) and highest total DMP up to 75 DAS were recorded under CT. ZT produced highest LAI, while highest grain yield was noted under MT practice (734.5 kg/ha). Nutrient treatments failed to produce significant differences in chlorophyll b and chlorophyll a/b ratio. However, application at 40:80 kg/ha produced highest LAI, and higher content of chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll content (1.34 mg/g). K:MgSO4 applied at 40:60 kg/ha recorded highest grain yield. LAI was recorded highest under ZT with K:MgSO4 at 40:80 kg/ha. MT + K:MgSO4 at 40:60 kg/ha reported highest chlorophyll a/b ratio (4.71). K: MgSO4 applied at 40:60 kg/ha produced highest grain yield (806 kg/ha). In interactions, MT + K: MgSO4 at 40:60 kg/ha registered highest grain yield (914.8 kg/ha). Overall, in terms of grain yield, the test crop responded well to MT with application of K: MgSO4 at 40:60 kg/ha.

Conservation and organic management practices influenced wheat (Triticum aestivum) productivity, profitability and weed dynamics

Present study was carried out during winter (rabi) seasons of 2018–19 and 2019–20 at the Agricultural Research Station of Agriculture University, Kota, Rajasthan to assess the effects of conventional and conservation tillage with organic and chemical management on growth, yield attributes, yields, economics and weed dynamics in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Vertisols. Five different crop-management practices, viz. conservation tillage with organic management (CAO), conservation tillage with chemical management (CAC), conventional tillage with chemical management (CTC), conventional tillage with organic management (OCT) and package of practice (PoPs) were studied in a randomized block design (RBD) with 4 replications. Pooled data revealed that significantly higher plant height (97.7 cm), dry matter accumulation (169.24 g/0.5 metre row length), number of tillers (47.05/0.5 meter row length), chlorophyll content of leaves (2.186 mg/g), number of effective tillers (43.15/0.5 meter row length), spike length (12.86 cm), weight per spike (2.49 g), test weight (45.61 g), grain yield (5214 kg/ha), straw yield (7941 kg/ha), and net returns (` 90891/ha) were recorded under CAC practice over CAO and OCT, although it was observed to be comparable to the PoPs and CTC management practices. Comparing conservation tillage with chemical management to other crop management techniques at 60 DAS, it was found to be the most successful practice for controlling total weeds (9.40/m2) and decreasing the buildup of weed dry matter (167.21 kg/ha).

Impact of Conservation Tillage Technology Application on Farmers’ Technical Efficiency: Evidence from China

Conservation tillage plays a crucial role in preventing soil erosion, improving soil quality, and encouraging sustainable agriculture. This study analyzes the effects of conservation tillage on farmers’ technical efficiency and its underlying mechanisms, using a sample of 853 households and 1706 land plots from China’s Jilin, Sichuan, Jiangsu, and Henan provinces. The results indicate that conservation tillage can enhance technical efficiency, resulting in an average increase of 0.022 units, The study further demonstrates that conservation tillage technology primarily enhances technical efficiency by increasing output and reducing production costs. This study proposes policy recommendations for promoting the use of conservation tillage technology to enhance farmers’ technical efficiency.