Physical, chemical and biological attributes of soil surface are significantly affected by tillage practices and crop rotation. The objective of this study was to determine the short-term (2006-2009) effects of conventional and conservational tillage practices on selected soil physical properties of a heavy clay soil under two wheat-corn and wheatlegume rotation in a semi-arid Mediterranean...

Comprehensive assessment of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) budget of reduced tillage agricultural systems must consider emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), each of which have higher global warming potentials than carbon dioxide (CO2). Tillage intensity may also impact nitric oxide (NO) emissions, which can have various environmental and agronomic impacts. In 2003 and 2004, we us...

Conservation tillage reduces the physical movement of soil to the minimum required for crop establishment and production. When consistently practiced as a soil and crop management system, it greatly reduces soil erosion and is recognized for the potential to improve soil quality and water conservation and plant available water. Adoption of conservation tillage increased dramatically with the ad...

Wilhelm, W.W., Schepers, J.S., Mielke, L.N., Doran, J.W., Ellis, J.R. and Stroup, W.W., 1987. Dryland maize development and yield resulting from tillage and nitrogen fertilization practices. Soil Tillage Res., 10: 167-179. Conservation tillage ( 7 30% residue cover) has proven to be very effective in reducing runoff and erosion and in increasing soil water storage. In dryland cropping situation...

Blowing dust from summer fallow is a major soil loss and air quality concern in winter wheat (Triricum aesrivum L.) production areas of the inland Pacific Northwest (PNW). The objective of our 3-yr onfarm study in a 286-mm precipitation zone in eastern Washington was to determine the effects of tillage mulch depth during fallow on surface soil roughness, residue retention, seed-zone water stora...

No-till acreage has increased in recent years, but many farmers alternate no-till with other tillage practices, limiting public and private benefits from sustained no-till adoption. Revealed preference data are used in an ordered logit regression analysis to determine the effect of soil characteristics, climate, regions, farm characteristics, and producer demographics on producers’ choices to u...

Introduction ............................................................................................................................2 Organic Farming & the Tillage Dilemma .........................................................................3 Mulch Tillage .........................................................................................................................5 Ridge Ti...

Soil microorganisms are important for climate regulation as well as for plant nutrition. In agricultural soils the microorganisms are affected by management choices, like which type of tillage that is used. Moldboard plowing, the most common tillage practice, increases mineralization which leads to soil organic carbon (SOC) loss, and may thus reduce soil quality. Conservation tillage practices ...

Methods In 2013, ISU FARM conducted two trials in Pottawattamie County that investigated the effect of various tillage systems on soybean grain yield. In Trial 1, a fall vertical tillage system and a fall disking were compared with a no-till system. In Trial 2, a fall vertical tillage system was compared with no-till. Vertical tillage systems are marketed as systems that lightly till the soil w...

Introduction ............................................................................................................................2 Organic Farming & the Tillage Dilemma .........................................................................3 Mulch Tillage .........................................................................................................................5 Ridge Ti...