Premium
Tillage and Rotation Effects on Soil Physical Characteristics
Author(s) -
Katsvairo Tawainga,
Cox William J.,
Es Harold
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj2002.2990
Subject(s) - tillage , plough , agronomy , bulk density , chisel , mathematics , soil water , chemistry , environmental science , soil science , biology , materials science , metallurgy
Farmers are adopting different cropping systems, so our objective was to identify tillage × rotation interactions for soil physical characteristics in the sixth year of a tillage (moldboard plow, chisel, and ridge) × rotation {continuous corn ( Zea mays L.), soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.]–corn and soybean–wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.)/clover ( Trifolium pretense L.)–corn} study. Moldboard plow had lower penetration resistance (0.97 MPa) and bulk density (1.19 g cm −3 ) and greater infiltration (75 μm s −1 ) and porosity (−2.5 to −40 kPa soil water potential) compared with ridge tillage (1.39 MPa, 1.31 g cm −3 , and 24 μm s −1 , respectively) at the sixth leaf (V6) stage and greater infiltration (106 and 31 μm s −1 , respectively) during early grain fill (R3) of corn. In ridge tillage, the interrow had lower penetration resistance (1.10 Mpa) and bulk density (1.28 g cm −3 ) and greater infiltration (35 μm s −1 ) vs. the row (1.68 MPa, 1.34 g cm −3 , and 13 μm s −1 , respectively) at V6 but greater penetration resistance (3.13 and 2.46 MPa, respectively) at R3. The soybean–wheat/clover–corn rotation had the greatest earthworm densities (504 m −2 ) and infiltration (68 μm s −1 ) among rotations at V6. Earthworm densities and infiltration explained about 25% of corn yield variability, which may have contributed in part to the 15 to 40% yield advantage for corn in the soybean–wheat/clover–corn rotation in moldboard plow. Tillage × rotation interactions did not exist for soil physical characteristics, so 5‐yr tillage effects would be consistent across rotations.