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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #405016
Research Project: Dryland and Irrigated Crop Management Under Limited Water Availability and Drought

Location: Soil and Water Management Research

Title: A single tillage in a long-term no-till system on dryland crop performance

Author
item SCHLEGEL, ALAN - Kansas State University
item HOLMAN, JOHNATHON - Kansas State University
item ASSEFA, YARED - Kansas State University

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/7/2020
Publication Date: 6/3/2020
Citation: Schlegel, A., Holman, J.D., Assefa, Y. 2020. A single tillage in a long-term no-till system on dryland crop performance. Agronomy Journal. 112:3174-3187. https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20284.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.20284

Interpretive Summary: Long-term no-till (NT) systems in the semiarid Southern Ogalala Aquifer region tend to increase wheat and grain sorghum yields by increasing soil moisture at planting. However, the advantages of NT system are being threatened by the occurrence of herbicide resistant (HR) weeds, including kochia and tumble windmill grass. An occasional tillage is proposed to alleviate these, but only limited information is available on the effect of a single or occasional tillage on crop yield in a NT wheat grain-sorghum-fallow (WSF) rotation. Working in a project funded by the USDA ARS Ogallala Aquifer Program, scientists from Kansas State University determined that a single tillage to a 4-inch depth on a long-term (>6 years) continuous NT WSF system had no effect on grain yield, soil water, and water use of grain sorghum and winter wheat for up to 3 years after tillage compared with continuous NT. Therefore, we have concluded that a single tillage of a long-term NT dryland WSF system can be done without affecting crop performance.

Technical Abstract: A no-till system may cause stratification of soil organic C and lack effective control of herbicide-resistant weeds. An occasional tillage is proposed to alleviate these, but only limited information is available on the effect of a single or occasional tillage on crop yield in a no-till wheat grain-sorghum-fallow (WSF) rotation. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of a single tillage to a 10-cm depth of a long-term (>6 yr) continuous no-till WSF system on grain yield, soil water, and water use of grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) for up to 3 yr after the single tillage operation. This research was conducted at Garden City and Tribune, KS. The three tillage treatments were a single tillage in May or June during fallow (June tillage), a single tillage after wheat harvest (July tillage), and a complete NT system. Grain yield of sorghum varied from average of 3.40 Mg ha-1 at Garden City in 2014 to 8.04 Mg ha-1 at Tribune in 2016. Grain yield of winter wheat varied from average of 0.47 Mg ha-1 at Garden City in 2014 to 5.21 Mg ha-1 at Tribune in 2016. There was no significant effect from a single tillage (June tillage or July tillage) on crop yield, yield components, biomass, available soil water (ASW), and water use compared with continuous no-till. Therefore, we have concluded that a single tillage of a long-term no-till dryland WSF system can be done without affecting crop performance.