Excessive harvest of corn (Zea mays L.) stover for ethanol production has raised concerns regarding negative consequences on soil physical quality. Our objective was to quantify the impact of two tillage practices and three levels of corn stover harvest on near-surface soil physical quality through the Least Limiting Water Range (LLWR). We evaluated no harvest, moderate and high stover harvest ...

Soil organic C (SOC) and total N (TN) contents play a crucial role in sustaining agricultural production systems. Short-term ( 10-year) management effects on SOC and TN dynamics are often complex and variable. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate short-term tillage and cropping system effects on SOC and TN within the 0–30 cm soil depth across Iowa. The first experiment with no-tillage a...

The recent shift from transplanted to wet seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) in South East Asia has resulted in major weed problems which require more labour and energy for their control. Field experiments were conducted during 1994±1996 on a Chromic Vertisol in central Luzon, the Philippines, to study the effect of water, tillage and herbicide levels on total water use, weed growth and yield of wet...

In Central Aragón (NE Spain), where strong and dry winds are frequent all year round, fallow lands are susceptible to wind erosion due to insufficient crop residues on the surface and loose, finely divided soils by multiple tillage operations. Effects of conventional tillage (CT — mouldboard ploughing followed by a compacting roller) and reduced tillage (RT — chisel ploughing) on soil surface p...

Soil management practices, such as tillage method or straw return, could alter soil organic carbon (C) contents. However, the effects of tillage method or straw return on soil organic C (SOC) have showed inconsistent results in different soil/climate/cropping systems. The Yangtze River Delta of China is the main production region of rice and wheat, and rice-wheat rotation is the most important ...

1831 Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 72:1831-1837 doi:10.2136/sssaj2007.0423 Received 11 Dec. 2007. *Corresponding author ([email protected]). © Soil Science Society of America 677 S. Segoe Rd. Madison WI 53711 USA All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any informa...

The effect of different tillage practices on soil hydraulic properties was studied in a mature, drip irrigated apricot orchard with a 7% slope, in Murcia (SE Spain). The soil had a loamy texture. Three soil tillage treatments were applied between the rows of trees: 1) control treatment (non-tilled, although weeds were cut to ground level using a blade attached to a tractor following the common ...

Minimum tillage is a soil conservation practice involving a reduction in soil disturbance and topsoil compaction, which could minimize environmental impact of the tobacco cultivation system. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the development and growth responses of Nicotiana tabacum and the changes in the physical and hydrological soil properties after the application of two differen...

The paper focuses on conservation agriculture (CA), defined as minimal soil disturbance (no-till, NT) and permanent soil cover (mulch) combined with rotations, as a more sustainable cultivation system for the future. Cultivation and tillage play an important role in agriculture. The benefits of tillage in agriculture are explored before introducing conservation tillage (CT), a practice that was...

Post-Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land may provide an excellent opportunity to satisfy certified organic crop production requirements. However, conversion of CRP or long-term pastureland to certified organic production will require tillage because the use of herbicides is prohibited in organic production. Our objectives were to evaluate stand establishment, weed competition, yield, and gr...