Effects Of Tillage Research Articles

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).

Organic soybean production in Hungary

Organic soy production, particularly for feedstuff in organic animal husbandry, is needed in Hungary and the EU regions. Soybean producing crop area in Hungary has increased in the last years, however, the agroecological potential would allow for a larger soybean production area. This study presents the soybean market in Hungary, and the role of soybeans in protein supply in food and feed, summarising the critical elements of organic soybean production from variety selection to marketing. During the field research, the effects of the agronomical environment on yield potential factors were examined. We aimed to determine how different row spacing and tillage systems affect organic soybean yields of different varieties, with particular attention to the dry region, and determine the specific methods and varieties of soybean that favour these areas. We found that the tillage (plough/grubber), the spacing (wide/narrow), and the variety effects were all significant on morphological variables. The most remarkable difference was seen in plant height and the number of pods per plant, while the number of nodes was also highly impacted by tillage treatment and variety. The nutrition variables were significantly different, mainly as an effect of tillage and spacing interaction with significantly different plant responses of varieties.

Effect of tillage and land levelling practices on productivity of transplanted rice: A case study in canal command area of north western plateau agro-climatic zone

An on-farm study on the response of transplanted rice to land preparation methods was undertaken on a sandy clay loam soil in Pitamahal irrigation command of Sundargarh district (Odisha) for two consecutive dry seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21. The treatments included normal ploughing with desi plough followed by levelling of 0.5 – 1 % slope (T1), deep ploughing (20 - 25 cm) with bullock drawn M.B. plough followed by levelling of 0 - 0.25 % slope (T2), and farmers' practice of ploughing with desi plough and levelling varying 1-3 % slope (T3) for puddling operation. Deep ploughing (T2) resulted in higher root length (23.88 cm) and root 3 volume (81.75 cm ), owing to the initial rapid growth of roots promoted by deep ploughing that cracked the hardpan. This also increased the movement of water both laterally and vertically (7.44 mm per day) compared to T1 and T3's 5.11 and 5.71 m per day, respectively. The treatment also resulted in a significantly greater grain yield -1 (45.90 q ha ) due to a much larger effective tiller m-2 (423.40) and number of grains per panicle (71.80), as well as a higher net return per rupee spent (7.54) and benefitcost ratio (2.01).

Impact of Tillage Intensity on the Development of Faba Bean Cultivation

At the time of tillage, the properties of the soil change, thereby changing the conditions of crop development and, ultimately, their productivity and quality. The effect of non-inversion tillage or no-till on faba bean development is still not widely understood. For this reason, on the basis of a long-term experiment (since 1988), investigations of tillage systems using deep and shallow ploughing, chiselling, disking and no-till were undertaken at Vytautas Magnus University, Agriculture Academy, Lithuania, in 2016–2019. The aim of this study was to highlight the interaction between tillage methods and crop vegetative conditions, and its effect on faba bean development parameters. Soil chiselling generally led to better faba bean canopy development rates than other treatments. Faba bean roots developed somewhat better in non-tilled plots. Different tillage methods had less impact on faba bean development than vegetative conditions during the growing seasons. This shows that, due to rapid climate change, the conditions of each vegetative season are unique, which may lead to significant changes in crop development parameters. In addition, in this case, agrotechnologies must be precisely used, such as the use of varieties resistant to abiotic stresses, as well as technical and technological approaches. The complex effects of these agrotechnological elements should be investigated in more detail.

Effect of soil tillage and nitrogen fertilizer management on methane emissions from irrigated rice fields in Central Java, Indonesia

Effect of soil tillage and nitrogen fertilizer management on methane emissions from irrigated rice fields in Central Java, Indonesia

The effects of no-tillage and conventional tillage on greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields with various rice varieties

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) production worldwide strives to meet the challenges of the millennium and ensure food for the overgrown population. Improving traditional rice-growing techniques could effectively increase productivity, reduce water and fertilizer consumption, and mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The current study attempts to examine the effect of two rice cultivation (RC) methods, viz. conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) and “rice varieties (RV), namely var. MTU 1010, var. IET 4786, var. IET 17430 and var. IET 9947″, on methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during the rice-growing season (Kharif) in India. The results showed CH4 and CO2 fluxes were higher under the CT plots than under the NT plots. There was a trade-off between CH4 and N2O production in paddy fields (PF), with CT plots showing lower N2O flux than NT. The “CO2-eq emission (pGWP)” and “yield-scaled CO2-eq emission (YpGWP)” in NT were significantly lower compared to CT with increased rice yields (p < 0.05). Analysis of the energy budget showed that energy use was reduced to 41.67% when replaced with the NT method. When compared to CT cultivation, the energy saved through the NT cultivation was around 2.33 MJ for every kilogram of rice produced. The study showed that the NT is one of the promising methods that should be encouraged among farmers to curb GHG emissions and increase rice production.

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.

Ground beetles suppress slugs in corn and soybean under conservation agriculture.

Conservation agriculture practices such as eliminating tillage and planting high residue cover crops are becoming increasingly important in field crop systems in the US Mid-Atlantic. However, these practices have sometimes been associated with an increase in moderate to severe damage to field crops by slugs. Conserving natural enemy populations is a desirable way to manage slug infestations because remedial control measures are limited. Here, we tested the effects of conservation practices, weather, and natural enemies on slug activity-density measured by tile traps placed among 41 corn and soybean fields during the spring of 2018 and 2019 in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, USA. We found that a positive effect of cover crops on slug activity-density was reduced by tillage and that slug activity-density declined with increasing ground beetle activity-density. Slug activity-density also declined with decreasing rainfall and increasing average temperature. Weather was the only significant predictor of ground beetle activity-density, which was reduced in sites and weeks that were relatively hot and dry or that were cool and wet. However, we also found a marginally significant negative effect of pre-plant insecticides on ground beetles. We suggest that the observed interacting effects of cover crops and tillage reflect favorable conditions for slugs provided by increased small grain crop residue that can be mitigated to some extent by even low levels of tillage. More broadly, our study suggests that implementation of practices known to promote recruitment of ground beetles in crop fields can improve natural suppression of slugs in corn and soybean that are being increasingly cultivated according to conservation agriculture practices.

Effects of contrasting tillage managements on the vertical distribution of plant- and microbial-derived carbon in rice paddy

Soil microbial necromass is considered a persistent component of soil organic carbon (SOC), constituting the final product of the microbial carbon pump (MCP). However, the mechanisms involved in the effects of tillage and rice residue managements on the vertical distribution of microbial necromass and plant residues in rice paddy soils remain unclear, limiting knowledge of SOC sequestration mechanisms. Therefore, we estimated microbial- and plant-derived C by biomarker amino sugars (AS) and lignin phenols (VSC) at the 0–30 cm soil depth, as well as their relationships with SOC contents and mineralization in a rice paddy soil under contrasting tillage practices, namely no-tillage (NT), reduced tillage (RT), and conventional tillage (CT). The results showed that the SOC contents in the rice paddy soil were positively correlated with soil AS and VSC contents. The NT resulted in significantly higher (P < 0.05) AS (expressed as per kilogram soil) at the 0–10 cm and 10–30 cm soil depths by 45–48 % than RT and CT. However, microbial-derived C contents and SOC mineralization were not significantly changed by NT. In contrast, the plant-derived C contents in the total SOC decreased significantly under the NT scenario, suggesting the consumption of plant-derived C even with more rice residue inputs (at the 0–10 cm soil depth). In summary, 5-year short-term NT management with more rice residue mulch on the soil surface in rice paddy maintained a low plant-derived C content (at a sampling date before rice transplanting), suggesting a different mode of C sequestration, except for the protection of plant-derived C under anaerobic conditions.

Effect of Tillage and Inorganic Fertilizers on Gossypium Yield

As a result of the research, it was found that tillage and mineral fertilizer application rates had a significant effect on the Gossypium yield, fiber yields and fiber productivity. After the autumn predecessor of wheat, plowing to a depth of 27-30 cm in autumn and loosening to a depth of 6-8 cm before sowing in spring, due to the action of inorganic fertilizers, the Gossypium yield is 2.8-14.1 cwt/ha, the fiber yields is 0.2-1.1%, fiber productivity 1.0-5.2 cwt/ha, plowing to a depth of 27-30 cm before sowing in spring and a disc shovel to a depth of 10-12 cm before sowing in spring. Gossypium yield 2.8-14.3 cwt/ha, fiber yields 0.1-1.3%, fiber productivity 1.0-5.4 cwt/ha, plowing to a depth of 27-30 cm in autumn and spring. Before sowing, when tilling the soil with a disk shovel to a depth of 14-16 cm, due to the action of inorganic fertilizers, the Gossypium yield was 3.8-17.3 cwt/ha, the fiber yields was 0.2-2.8%, the fiber productivity increased by 1.4-7.2 cwt/ha compared to the control variant without fertilizers. If we compare all three methods of tillage, then the highest values are obtained by plowing to a depth of 27-30 cm in autumn and a disc harrow to a depth of 14-16 cm before sowing in spring. norm N120P150K120.

Eight-year impacts of conservation agriculture on soil quality, carbon storage, and carbon emission footprint

The conventional method of intensive tillage alters the soil environment, destroys soil aggregates, depletes soil organic carbon (SOC), emits more carbon, requires higher energy, alters microbial activities and ultimately degrades the soil health. These ill-effects of conventional tillage can be severe in rainfed soils with poor workability such as Vertisols of Central India. To minimize these negative effects of conventional tillage (CT), conservation agricultural (CA) practices such as reduced tillage (RT) and no-till (NT) with crop residue retentions are advocated as sustainable practices that can improve the soil health. Four cropping systems [soybean+pigeonpea (CS1); soybean–wheat (CS2); maize–chickpea (CS3); maize+pigeonpea (CS4)] were established as sub-plots under CT, RT and NT management. Soil samples were collected at 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm and 20–30 cm depths. The effects of 8 years of continuous use of CA were evaluated on soil physical, chemical and biological properties in Vertisol of Central India. After that, 20 key soil properties were subjected to calculating soil quality indices (SQI) in each tillage systems. Results indicated that mean weight diameter (MWD) and water-stable aggregates (WSA) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in NT (1.57 mm and 79.4%) and RT (1.05 mm and 76.2%) than CT (0.71 mm and 63.8%) at 0–10 cm depth, respectively. The soil under NT had the highest SOC concentration (1.12%) followed by that under RT (1.02%), and the least was found in CT (0.91%) at 0–10 cm depth. The proportion of large macro-aggregates (LM) was the highest under NT than CT (P < 0.05) whereas that of micro-aggregates was highest under CT. The aggregate associated organic C (AOC) tended to decrease with the decrease of aggregate size. Soil dehydrogenase activity, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis activity, β-glucosidase activity and easily extractable glomalin content were significantly higher under NT than CT (P < 0.05). The soil quality index was significantly highest in NT, followed by RT and CT at all soil depths. CA based practices favoured carbon storage, lowered carbon emission, foot print and soil quality compared to conventional farming. Therefore, under Vertisols, 8 years of CA practices likely to improve several soil quality indicators, allowing a positive trend for soil preservation.

Effect of Conservation Tillage on Changes in Soil Aggregate-associated Organic Carbon and Biological Pools to Nitrogen and Straw Alters in RWCS in North-Western India: A Review

To manage this issue, understanding the mineralization process of crop leftovers is helpful. C and N mineralization kinetics in surface-applied and soil-integrated rice and wheat residues were investigated. Rice and wheat residues bind nitrogen in the soil. The use of the residue increased soil organic carbon by 18% and aggregate stability by 55% compared to the control. This study concludes that instead of simply leaving agricultural wastes on the surface, it is best to work them into the soil, where they will decompose more quickly, the mineral N will be released more quickly, more organic matter will be produced, and the soil structure will be improved. Compost amendment was more effective in decreasing macro-aggregate and silt+clay fraction-specific activities than fertilizer NPK. Tillage and residue levels had a significant impact on soil organic carbon accumulation between 0 and 15 centimeters, but not between 15 and 30 centimeters. The SOC content of plots that used raised beds permanently and retained residue was 19.44 g kg-1, but the SOC content of plots that used zero-tilling was only 18.53 g kg-1. SOC levels in puddled rice grafts and conventionally tilled wheat were both 15.86 g kg-1. When compared to plots where the residue was removed, those where it was left but not tilled sequestered 0.91 g kg-1yr-1 SOC. After receiving NT treatments, the concentration of DOC in three different soil depths (bulk, &gt;0.25 mm aggregate, and 0-5 cm soil) increased by 15.5%, 29.5%, and 14.1%, respectively. Increases in MBC ranged from 11.2% to 11.5% to 20%. The 0-50 cm depth SOC stock increased from 49.89 Mg ha-1 to 53.03 Mg ha-1 when the residue was removed. SOC stock was grown by 50 centimeters by rotational farming, but by just 5.35 percent through no-till farming. Bulk soil SOC was 12.9% higher in S treatments compared to NS treatments that removed crop residue, as were &gt;0.25 mm aggregate (11.3%) and 0.25 mm aggregate (14.1%). While NT treatments increased DOC by 15.5%, 29.5%, and 14.1% in bulk soil, &gt;0.25 mm aggregate, and 0.25 mm aggregate in the 0-5 cm soil layer, respectively, CT treatments increased MBC by 11.2%, 11.2%, and 20%. The 0-5 cm soil layer, bulk soil, and &gt;0.25 mm aggregate all saw increases in DOC content of 23.2%, 25.0%, and 37.5% after receiving S treatments compared to NS treatments, while MBC increased by 29.8%, 30.2%, and 24.1%.

Predicting crop damage caused by wireworms and the effect of tillage on trap efficiency

A novel wireworm ‘probe’ trap is described, characterized, and used in field trials to (i) determine effects of different spring tillage treatments on its efficiency capturing Agriotes obscurus L. Coleoptera: Elateridae wireworms; and (ii) assess its ability to predict crop damage. In pot trials, its attractiveness to other wireworm species was determined. In a forage/grass field, spring tillage treatments included: ploughing, rototilling, glyphosate-sprayed then ploughing, glyphosate-sprayed then rototilling, glyphosate-sprayed untilled, and untilled. The number of wireworms captured in tilled treatments increased until 20 October. The number of wireworms captured in untilled treatments remained low. Subterranean CO2 levels in tilled treatments decreased after tillage and over the trapping period, suggesting the increase in captured wireworms occurred because trap CO2 levels were not overwhelmed by soil levels. The decrease in subterranean CO2 was less pronounced in untilled-glyphosate and relatively unchanged in untilled-no glyphosate, corresponding to the lower number of wireworms captured. In a separate trial determining the trap’s ability to predict crop damage, a 2 m-wide section was rototilled in grass/forage fields in the spring of Year 1. Probe traps assessed wireworm levels in August and October of Year 1 to predict crop damage for potato and corn planted in Year 2. The y-intercept of linear equations suggested that wireworms captured in October better-predicted potato damage and corn emergence although equations were significant only for August. October-captured wireworms ≤ 21 mm in length correlated better with crop damage than larger wireworms. Pot studies revealed the probe trap to also attract A. litigiousus, A. sordidus, A. brevis, and A. ustulatus.

Effects of tillage on soil organic carbon and crop yield under straw return

No-tillage with straw mulch is an effective way to achieve soil sustainability. However, the specific redistributions of soil organic carbon composition, stocks, and crop yield remain unclear. The hypothesis that no-tillage had a minor effect on soil organic carbon stocks in 0–50 cm but decreased crop yield compared to plow-tillage under straw return was tested in this study. Soils properties from two decades of rice-wheat rotation field experiment were related to the yield of rice and wheat depending on tillage: 1) plow-tillage without straw return, 2) no-tillage with straw mulch, and 3) plow-tillage with straw return. No-tillage with straw mulch had the highest mean weight diameter of soil aggregates, the contents of macro-aggregates (>0.25 mm) organic carbon, particulate organic carbon (>53 µm), and soil organic carbon across tillage practices in 0–5 cm. However, it decreased the contents of macro-aggregates (>0.25 mm) organic carbon in 5–15 cm, the particulate organic carbon in 5–50 cm, and soil organic carbon in 5–30 cm compared to plow tillage with straw return due to less carbon input from roots and straw. Organic carbon stocks in micro-aggregates (<0.25 mm) and mineral-associated organic matter (<53 µm) did not vary between tillage practices. Hence the soil organic carbon stocks of plow tillage without straw return (48 Mg ha−1) were similar to that of no-tillage with straw mulch (51 Mg ha−1) but lower than that of plow tillage with straw return (57 Mg ha−1) in 0–50 cm. The mean annual yields of wheat and rice under no-tillage with straw mulch (14 t ha−1) were lower than that of plow tillage without straw return (15 t ha−1) and plow tillage with straw return (16 t ha−1). No-tillage-induced high soil bulk densities limited the rice yields. The yield losses of no-tillage with straw mulch were higher in rice than in wheat. The rice yield losses of no-tillage with straw mulch compared to plow tillage with straw return increased with experiment duration due to decreased available nitrogen in 7–14 cm and phosphorus contents in 0–14 cm over time. Conclusively, plow-tillage is more efficient for carbon sequestration and yield increase than no-tillage under straw return in rice-wheat farming by increasing carbon input in deep soils, soil available nutrients, and decreasing soil compactness.

Effects of tillage method on the carbon footprint, energy budget, and net ecosystem economic efficiency of rice fields

Biaxial rotary tillage is considered an effective approach for enhancing the structure of soil in rice fields. There are few reports on the effects of biaxial rotary tillage on the carbon footprint (CF), energy budget, and net ecosystem economic efficiency (NEEB) of rice fields. Here, we evaluated the effects of dryland biaxial rotary tillage (DBRT), as well as two traditional tillage methods, dryland and paddy field in uniaxial rotary tillage (DPURT) and paddy field in uniaxial rotary tillage (PURT), on the CF, energy budget, and NEEB of rice production to clarify the economic and ecological utility of DBRT. The tillage depth was 9.5–15.4% higher under DBRT than under DPURT and PURT (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The soil bulk density was 5.4–12.1% lower under DBRT than under DPURT and PURT. The rice grain yield was 7.6–8.7% and 17.7–19.1% higher under DBRT than under DPURT and PURT, respectively (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The total global warming potential was 7.6–10.6% and 17.0–20.4% lower under DBRT than under DPURT and PURT, respectively (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The CF was 17.7–18.9% and 35.4–36.1% lower under DBRT than under DPURT and PURT, respectively. The energy use efficiency was 8.7–10.4% and 16.4–18.3% higher under DBRT than under DPURT and PURT, respectively. The NEEB were 13.2–15.7% and 28.6–32.1% higher under DBRT than under DPURT and PURT, respectively. In summary, DBRT is beneficial for increasing rice yield and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thereby improving the economic and ecological benefits of rice.

Effect of tillage and irrigation on growth and productivity in maize-wheat sequence

The present study was conducted at experimental farm of Department of Organic Agriculture and Natural Farming, CSK HPKV, Palampur, during the year 2018–20 with the objectives of evaluating the effect of tillage and irrigation on soil moisture content, seed emergence, plant height and crop and water productivity and soil physical properties. The treatments comprised of viz., T1: No irrigation to maize and 6 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and natural farming (NF), T2: No irrigation to maize and 4 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and NF, T3: No irrigation to maize and 2 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and NF, T4: No irrigation to maize and wheat grown with conventional tillage and NF, T5: No irrigation to maize and wheat grown with minimum tillage + lantana mulch and NF, T6: No irrigation to maize + soybean and 6 cm irrigation to wheat + gram gown with conventional tillage grown and NF, T7: No irrigation to maize + soybean and wheat + gram grown with minimum tillage + lantana mulch and NF, T8: No irrigation to maize and 6 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and organic farming and T9: No irrigation to maize and 6 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and no manure application (Absolute control) were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. The results indicated that the treatments with minimum tillage and mulch (T5 and T7) had higher soil moisture content, emergence rate index, plant height, yield and water use efficiency as compared to the conventional tillage treatments. The physical properties of soil such as porosity, water holding capacity and mean weight diameter were improved under T5 and T7 treatments. Further, it was observed that with decrease in irrigation water, there was decrease in soil moisture content, emergence rate index, plant height and yield. PCA explained 92.27% and 88.52% of the data variability in the maize and wheat respectively, which may indicate that the different properties were affected by different treatments. The moisture content at both depth was positively correlated with porosity and ERI. Also, the positive correlation was observed between MWD, plant height, WHC, water productivity and yield.

Conservation tillage and microbially mediated integrated phosphorus management enhance productivity, profitability and energy use efficiency of maize

AbstractSustainability of maize production systems is threatened by poor economic returns and resource intensiveness. Therefore, an experiment was conducted at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during 2016–17 to 2017–18 to assess the effect of tillage and microbial inoculantsintegrated phosphorus (P) management on productivity, quality, economic outcome and energy dynamics of maize. Three tillage practices viz., CT–R (conventional tillage with no residue), ZT–R (zero tillage with no residue) and ZT + R (zero tillage with wheat crop residue at 2.5 Mg/ha) were assigned in main plots and five P management practices viz., P1 (control–NK as per recommendation, but no P), P2 (17.2 kg P/ha), P3 (17.2 kg P/ha + PSB), P4 (17.2 kg P/ha + compost inoculants) and P5 (34.4 kg P/ha) were allocated in subplots in three times replicated split-plot design. The maximum grain yield (5.96 Mg/ha), protein content (9.13%), protein yield (546 kg/ha) and gross energy returns (209 × 103 MJ/ha) were recorded under ZT + R while higher benefit: cost ratio (B: C ratio – the amount of economic gain per unit investment) (1.53) and energy efficiency (12.5) was noticed under ZT–R. Among the P management practices, the application of 34.4 kg P/ha recorded the highest grain yield (6.45 Mg/ha), protein content (9.34%), protein yield (603 kg/ha), B: C ratio (1.65) and energy efficiency (10.1). The results suggested that the application of P at the rate of 34.4 kg/ha under ZT + R is an economically robust approach for the quality maize production in semi-arid region.

Thirteen‐year stover harvest and tillage effects on soil compaction in Iowa

AbstractCorn (Zea mays L.) stover is an abundant biomass source with multiple end‐uses including cellulosic biofuel production. However, stover removal may increase soil compaction by reducing organic matter inputs and increasing vehicle loads during harvest. While numerous studies have reported stover removal impacts on soil physical quality, few have assessed the role played by traffic compaction. Our objective was to quantify subsurface soil compaction after 13 years of chisel plow versus no‐till management and no, moderate (3.5 ± 1.1 Mg ha−1 year−1), or high (5.0 ± 1.7 Mg ha−1 year−1) stover harvest rates. Penetration resistance was measured in most‐ and least‐trafficked interrow spaces. Chisel plowed plots with moderate and high levels of stover removal had higher penetration resistance in trafficked areas relative to least‐trafficked areas, whereas there was no evidence of traffic compaction when stover was retained. Traffic compaction did not negatively impact yields, which were greater with high levels of stover removal compared to no removal. The no‐till practice led to very small increases in penetration resistance with wheel traffic and had no evidence of increased compaction with residue removal. This lack of traffic compaction indicated soils under no‐till practice have a higher load‐bearing capacity than soils under chisel plow practice. Overall, there were no yield‐limiting effects of tillage practice or stover removal, and no evidence of soil compaction below the plow layer, suggesting stover removal with both tillage practices can be effectively employed without detrimental effects on plant or soil health.

Cover Crops and No-Tillage Show Negligible Effects on Grapevine Physiology in Mediterranean Vineyard Agroecosystems

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of annual or perennial cover crops and tillage regimes on whole grapevine physiology and berry composition. We studied the interactive effects of tillage and cover crops on grapevine water status, leaf gas exchange, components of yield, berry composition and resulting water footprint in two contrasting production regions (Fresno County-hot climate and Napa County-warm climate) of California. The treatments included a perennial grass (PG), resident vegetation (RV), and an annual grass (AG) grown under conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) settings. Neither cover crop nor tillage affected grapevine leaf gas exchange. However, at the Napa County vineyard, NT detrimentally affected grapevine water status compared to CT. Grapevine mineral nutrition, when assessed during anthesis revealed no effects of cover cropping in either year or at either location. Cover crop type did not affect yield components or berry composition, however CT increased titratable acidity (TA) at both sites. The water footprint of vineyards at either location was not affected by cover crops or tillage. Our results provided evidence that both in hot and warm climate vineyards cover cropping had negligible beneficial effects on grapevine physiology, mineral nutrition or productivity with no detrimental effects on vineyard water footprint; tillage was beneficial in younger vineyards to improve plant water status in semi-arid regions.

Successional effects of cover cropping and deep tillage on suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes and soilborne fungal pathogens.

Cover crops can suppress soilborne nematodes and fungal pathogens by serving as a poor host to pathogens and producing allelopathic compounds. Yet, cultural practices can influence their effectiveness. Cover crop and weedy fallow rotations and their interactions with deep tillage were evaluated from 2019 to 2021 in a three-season vegetable cropping system (spring tomato, fall squash, and winter cabbage) for their suppressive effects on soilborne diseases. Experimental plots were arranged in a split-plot 2 × 4 factorial design in randomized complete blocks. Whole-plot tillage treatments were shallow-tilled or deep-tilled. Subplots had two factors of crop rotations: rotation type (cover crop [spring or fall sunn hemp or winter rye] or weedy fallow) and rotation season. Independent of tillage practice, sunn hemp and weedy fallow reduced population density and root galling severity of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) for the first subsequent vegetable compared to the all-vegetable rotation (P < 0.05) but had little effect on fungal pathogens. Fall sunn hemp had higher plant biomass and reduced gall severity for the second subsequent vegetable. Spring and fall sunn hemp improved vegetable yields. Winter rye only reduced ring nematodes (Mesocriconema spp.) population density in the first subsequent vegetable. Deep tillage reduced incidence of fungal pathogens of Rhizoctonia solani and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and population density of stubby-root nematode (Nanidorus minor). Sunn hemp is effective in suppressing M. incognita, whereas deep tillage can be used to suppress R. solani, S. sclerotiorum, and N. minor in vegetable production systems. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.