Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of two tillage systems -- conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT) -- for a three-year corn-corn-watermelon rotation on: 1) biological production of corn and watermelon, 2) changes in soil physical properties, and 3) effect of tillage on irrigation at the Arkansas Valley Research Center, Rocky Ford, Colorado. Treatments were designed to evaluate tillage systems over the entire duration of the rotation rather than evaluating individual tillage operations or tillage implements. The results of this study showed neither a benefit nor loss in corn grain-yield under RT when compared to CT. The effect of tillage system on dry matter yield of corn varied with planting method. With flat planting for both CT and RT, yields of total dry matter were higher than CT. When corn was ridge-tilled, the RT system was higher yielding. Tillage system did influence marketable melon production. The yield of marketable melon over the three years averaged 26% higher for RT. Seed yield was not effected by tillage system in 1985, but a decrease in seed yield was observed in 1986 with RT where the disk was used as the primary tillage tool. Tillage system also had varied effects upon physical properties of the soil. The RT system resulted in greater aggregate stability, a higher residual soil moisture content, and increased infiltration. In 1986, these benefits may have been counteracted by lower early-season soil temperature and greater soil compaction at the 15-30 in depth. The increased moisture storage resulted in savings of irrigation water, labor and energy -- an economic advantage. Lower soil temperatures for the RT system may have contributed to reduced evaporation and reduced runoff -- also possible economic and societal benefits. Results of this study indicate that lower soil temperatures may have been the cause for retarded early-season corn growth. The RT system has several beneficial attributes that offer promise for becoming an attractive management system. In terms of immediate benefit to the farmer, greater savings in energy, labor and machinery would be possible under this system. Given proper management and the application of improved cultural practices, i.e. rotation, fertilization, weed control, etc., the farmer may, by using the RT system, produce crop yields equal to or even greater than CT with less dollars, the greatest potential being under rainfall situations.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage had neither benefit nor loss in corn grain yield relative to conventional tillage.
- Taxon
- corn
Zea mays subsp. mayse0 - Treatment
- RTe0
- Outcome
- corn grain-yielde0
- Direction
- neither a benefit nor losse0
- Comparator
- CTe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“neither a benefit nor loss in corn grain-yield under RT when compared to CT”
Claim · model-written summary
Corn dry matter yield response to tillage varied with planting method.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Treatment
- tillage systeme0
- Outcome
- dry matter yield of corne0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The effect of tillage system on dry matter yield of corn varied with planting method”
Claim · model-written summary
With flat planting, total corn dry matter yield was higher under reduced tillage.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse1
- Treatment
- RTe0
- Outcome
- yields of total dry mattere0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- flat plantinge0
- Comparator
- CTe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“With flat planting for both CT and RT, yields of total dry matter were higher than CT”
e1“dry matter yield of corn”
Claim · model-written summary
Ridge-tilled corn yielded more under reduced tillage.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Treatment
- RTe0
- Outcome
- higher yieldinge0
- Direction
- higher yieldinge0
- Qualifier
- ridge-tillede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“When corn was ridge-tilled, the RT system was higher yielding”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage raised marketable melon yield by an average of 26% over three years.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“The yield of marketable melon over the three years averaged 26% higher for RT”
Claim · model-written summary
Tillage system did not affect melon seed yield in 1985.
- Taxon
- melon
.jpg?width=60)
Cucumis meloe1 - Treatment
- tillage systeme0
- Outcome
- Seed yielde0
- Direction
- not effectede0
- Qualifier
- 1985e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed yield was not effected by tillage system in 1985”
e1“marketable melon production”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage with the disk as primary tool decreased seed yield in 1986.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a decrease in seed yield was observed in 1986 with RT where the disk was used as the primary tillage tool”
e1“marketable melon production”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage increased aggregate stability.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The RT system resulted in greater aggregate stability, a higher residual soil moisture content, and increased infiltration”
t0“crop production”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage increased residual soil moisture content.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The RT system resulted in greater aggregate stability, a higher residual soil moisture content, and increased infiltration”
t0“crop production”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage increased infiltration.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The RT system resulted in greater aggregate stability, a higher residual soil moisture content, and increased infiltration”
t0“crop production”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage lowered early-season soil temperature in 1986.
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“lower early-season soil temperature”
e1“In 1986, these benefits may have been counteracted”
t0“crop production”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced tillage increased soil compaction at 15-30 in depth.
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“greater soil compaction at the 15-30 in depth”
t0“crop production”
Claim · model-written summary
Greater moisture storage saved irrigation water, labor and energy.
Verbatim
e0“The increased moisture storage resulted in savings of irrigation water, labor and energy”
t0“crop production”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggested lower soil temperature may have retarded early-season corn growth.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayse0
- Outcome
- retarded early-season corn growthe0
- Qualifier
- lower soil temperaturese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“lower soil temperatures may have been the cause for retarded early-season corn growth”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded reduced tillage could maintain or improve yields with lower costs under suitable management, especially with rainfall.
Verbatim
e0“Given proper management and the application of improved cultural practices, i.e. rotation, fertilization, weed control, etc., the farmer may, by using the RT system, produce crop yields equal to or even greater than CT with less dollars, the greatest potential being under rainfall situations”
t0“crop production”
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