Tillage effects on soil physical properties and maize phenology

ABSTRACT

Field and laboratory studies on the effect of different systems of tillage on soil agrophysical properties, seed germination and productivity of maize (corn) demonstrate that tillage influences soil water content, penetration resistance and bulk density throughout the growing season. Faster soil warming and seed germination under the mouldboard plough influenced all stages of maize growth and development; minimal tillage was associated with lesser plant height, leaf area, number of cobs per 100 plants and 1000-grain weight, leading to an average yield shortfall of 0.37–0.88t/ha compared to the mouldboard plough.

KEYWORDS:

• Tillage
• maize
• soil properties
• morpho-biological characteristics

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to their colleagues in the Dnipro State Agrarian and Economic University and Institute of Grain Crops of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine for their support and assistance. We also thank anonymous reviewers for helping us to improve this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).