Straw return and appropriate tillage method improve grain yield and nitrogen efficiency of winter wheat

Straw return is an important management tool for tackling and promoting soil nutrient conservation and improving crop yield in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, China. Although the incorporation of maize straw with deep plowing and rotary tillage practices are widespread in the region, only few studies have focused on rotation tillage. To determine the effects of maize straw return on the nitrogen （N） efficiency and grain yield of winter wheat （Triticum aestivum L.）, we conducted experiments in this region for 3 years. Five treatments were tested： （i） rotary tillage without straw return （RT）; （ii） deep plowing tillage without straw return （DT）; （iii） rotary tillage with total straw return （RS）; （iv） deep plowing tillage with total straw return （DS）; （v） rotary tillage of 2 years and deep plowing tillage in the 3rd year with total straw return （TS）. Treatments with straw return increased kernels no. ear-1, thousand-kernel weight （TKW）, grain yields, ratio of dry matter accumulation post-anthesis, and nitrogen （N） efficiency whereas reduced the ears no. ha-1 in the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 growing seasons. Compared with the rotary tillage, deep plowing tillage significantly increased the grain yield, yield components, total dry matter accumulation, and N efficiency in 2013-2014. RS had significantly higher straw N distribution, soil inorganic nitrogen content, and soil enzymes activities in the 0-10 cm soil layer compared with the DS and TS. However, significantly lower values were ob- served in the 10-20 and 20-30 cm soil layers. TS obtained approximately equal grain yield as DS, and it also reduced the resource costs. Therefore, we conclude that TS is the most economical method for increasing grain yield and N efficiency of winter wheat in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain.

Impact of Different Tillage Methods on Silty Loam Luvisol Water Content in Sugar Beet(Beta vulgaris L.)Crop

The regulation of water regime in the soil is the most important task in semi-humid climate with not even precipitation distribution conditions. Reduced or minimum tillage may change soil hydrological properties. The objectives of this study were to investigate the possibilities to manage soil water regime during the whole soil tillage system for sugar beet, which are especially sensitive for water deficit or abundance. Five field experiments were carried out at the Experimental Station of the Lithuanian University of Agriculture (Aleksandras Stulginskis University since 2011) (54°52'N, 23°49'E) during 1995-2010. The soil of the experiments was silty loam Luvisol. In this study we highlighted the reduction of primary soil tillage from deep annual soil ploughing to shallow ploughing, deep and shallow cultivation and no till, comparison of soil ploughing and subsoiling, presowing ploughed or unploughed soil tillage with different cultivators—S-tine, complex, rotary and others, soil compressing with Cambridge and spur rollers before and after sugar beet sowing investigations. According to the results of experiments, reduction of primary soil tillage conserved soil water. The highest storage of soil water in spring was observed in non-reversibly tilled or not tilled soil. Subsoiling led higher water infiltration rate, and top layer of subsoiled soil consisted less moisture content than ploughed. Sugar beet seedbed moisture mostly depended on soil tillage intensity and depth. Presowing rotary tilling was the top tillage method in the case of water preservation in ploughed or unploughed soil. Soil compressing with rollers mostly had negative or low influence on light loam Luvisol moisture content. Rolling with Cambridge roller effected on more rapid water transport from deeper to top sugar beet seedbed layers and higher evaporation rate.

Effect of microrelief features of tillage methods under different rainfall intensities on runoff and soil erosion in slopes

Tillage methods play a crucial role in controlling rainwater partitioning and soil erosion.This study utilized rainfall simulation experiments to investigate the impact of four tillage methods(manual digging(MD),manual hoeing(MH),traditional ploughing(TP),and ridged ploughing(RP))on runoff and soil erosion at the plot scale.The smooth slope(SS)was used as a benchmark.Rainfall intensities of 30,60,90,and 120 mm h−1 were considered.The study revealed that tillage altered rainwater distribution into depression storage,infiltration,and runoff.Tillage reduces runoff and increases infiltration.The four tillage methods(30–73%)increased the proportion of rainwater converted to infiltration to varying degrees compared to the SS(22–53%).Microrelief features influenced the role of tillage methods in soil erosion.Surface roughness and depression storage accounted for 79%of the variation in sediment yield.The four tillage methods reduced runoff by 2.1–64.7%and sediment yield by 2.5–77.2%.Moreover,increased rainfall intensity weakens the ability of tillage to control soil erosion.When rainfall intensity increased to 120 mm h−1,there was no significant difference in runoff yield among RP,TP,MH,and SS.Therefore,assessing the effectiveness of tillage in reducing soil erosion should consider changes in rainfall intensity.Additionally,the cover management(C)factor of the RUSLE was used to assess the effects of different tillage methods on soil loss.Overall,the C factor values for tilled slopes are in the order MH>TP>RP>MD with a range of 0.23–0.97.As the surface roughness increases,the C factor tends to decrease,and the two are exponential functions(R2=0.86).These studies contribute to our understanding of how different tillage methods impact runoff and soil erosion in sloped farmland and provide guidance for selecting appropriate local manual tillage methods.

Effect of Tillage and Planting Methods on the Soil Properties, Grain Drill Performance, and Wheat Yield

The effect of conservation tillage methods and seeding machines on the soil physical properties, performance of grain drill, wheat yield, and wheat yield components was evaluated. The research was conducted in a split block experimental design with twelve treatments and four replications, and a local wheat variety （Shiraz） was planted in this study. Main plots were tillage methods including： （1） primary tillage using moldboard plow without moldboard; （2） primary tillage with disk harrow; and （3） primary tillage with chisel plow. Subplots were grain drill types including： （1） planting with Taka grain drill without furrower; （2） planting with Taka grain drill having furrower; （3） planting with Hamadan Machine Barzegar grain drill having furrower and runner opener; 4） planting with grain drill having ripple opener. Parameters including mean weight diameter of clods （MWD）, soil bulk density, uniformity of seed planting depth, seed distribution uniformity, seed emergence, crop yield, and crop yield components were measured. SAS software was used to analyze the collected data and the method of benefit to cost ratio was used to compare the treatments from the economic point of view. Results indicated that tillage method had no significant effect （P = 0.05） on the measured parameters. Plant per unit area, seed emergence, uniformity of seed planting depth, and MWD were significantly affected by the grain drill type （P 〈 0.05） while, the type of grain drill had no significant effect on the rest of measured parameters. Taka grain drill without furrower had the highest uniformity of planting depth and proper soil MWD, and grain drill with ripple opener had the highest seed emergence and plant per unit area. Interaction between tillage methods and grain drill types affected the soil MWD, seed emergence, and crop yield （P 〈 0.05） in such a way that the combination of primary tillage with disk harrow and planting with grain drill having ripple opener provided the highest crop yield.

Effect of Protective Cultivation Patterns of Rice in Cold Areas on Soil Physiological and Biochemical Status in Paddy Field

[Objective] The research aimed to explore how to use the soil reasonably,prevent the degradation of soil fertility,maintain soil fertility,improve the ecological environment of paddy field and improve the soil productivity of paddy field from the cultivation aspect.[Method] Taking kenjiandao 10 as the material,the variation laws of root weight,soil physical and chemical characteristics,soil enzyme,straw decomposition rate,soil temperature,microorganism of rice under the planting patterns of water-saving pro...

Experimental Study on Water Saving of Large-scale Mechanized Paddy Field Production Process in Heilongjiang Province

In order to clarify the water-saving technologies and standards in large-scale mechanized production of paddy fields, the water-saving effects and cost-benefit situations of paddy field steeping, seedling transplanting and different land preparation methods were studied. The results showed that the suitable water layer height for the closing period of mechanized operation was 10 cm, which could save water, facilitate weed control, and lead to better effect and the highest yield. The treatment with a water layer height of 1 cm(Huadashui) for the seedling planting operation achieved better quality of seedling transplanting, lower vacancy rate and higher yield and was water-saving. From the perspective of saving water and taking into account the cost of land preparation, the method of steeping and beating the field was better than the method of plowing in autumn and rotary tillage and harrowing in spring, but it was very prone to lodging. From the perspective of high yield creation, the method of plowing in autumn and rotary tillage and harrowing in spring was significantly better than the method of steeping and beating the field. In order to reduce the cost of land preparation, it is recommended to change the way of plowing in autumn and rotary tillage and hallowing in spring to plowing in autumn and rotary tillage in spring or plowing and hallowing in spring to reduce the cost of one time of rotary tillage, and to simultaneously realize deeper plough layer, which is conducive to preventing lodging and obtaining high yield.