No-till (NT) is a component of conservation agriculture that can enhance resilience to climate change and reduce costs, soil erosion and fertility decline. Yields under NT can be improved by optimising crop management practices, including better adapted cultivars. To explore possibilities opened by identifying wheat cultivars better adapted to NT agriculture, eight cultivars were tested in parallel yield trials organized in South Romania, during six years, under NT after soybeans or maize and under Traditional agriculture. The average performance of cultivars under no-till agriculture was not significantly correlated with the performance under the traditional system, with correlation coefficients higher and close to significance between NT system after maize and traditional system (r=0.69) and even negative but non-significant between NT after soybeans and traditional system. Cultivars reacted differently to NT agriculture, the yield differences between NT and traditional system averaged over six years varying from -419 kg ha-1 to more than 1000 kg ha-1 . Years, Crop Management Systems and Cultivars (in this order of impact), as well as the interactions between Cultivars*Years, and Systems*Years, had significant effects on the variation of the yield differences between agricultural systems. These results underline the importance of yield testing under NT for appropriate recommendation of most suitable cultivars, and suggest that genetic progress in creating cultivars more adapted to conservation agriculture is possible.

Many researches around the world have compared the performance of winter wheat (WW) and triticale (T) grown under conventional and no tillage systems; however, relatively few long-term experiments have been conducted under Eastern Romanian Danube Plain area. An experiment was established in 2012 in Fundulea on a cambic chernozem with two tillage treatments [no-tillage (NT) and chisel tillage (CT)] and two crop sequences [soybean (S) -WW/T and maize (M) – WW/T)]. WW and T yields were generally at similar levels with both tillage systems in most years between 2012 and 2017. Yields increased with higher amounts of rainfall during the vegetation period (from October until June) with the smallest increase among tillage treatments in NT. This indicates that CT can be superior to NT regarding yield at superior amounts of rainfall. Preceding crops did not considerably influence WW and T yields.

Crop growth and development, as well as yield, are the result of the efficiency of the chosen agricultural management system within the boundaries of the agro-ecological environment. End of season yield results do not permit the evaluation of within season management interactions with the production environment and do not allow for full understanding of the management practice applied. Crop growth and development were measured during the 2017, 2018 and 2019 crop cycles with an optical handheld NDVI sensor for all plots of the different management treatments of a long-term (since 2015) sustainability trial. Cropping systems varying in (1) crop rotation [winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) after maize (Zea mays L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) after sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) after winter pea (Pisum sativum L.)], (2) tillage (chisel tillage vs. no tillage), (3) residue management (chopped vs. anchored) and (4) N fertilization rate (N0, N50, N100 and N150) were compared. The NDVI handheld sensor was evaluated as a tool to monitor crop growth and development and was found to be an excellent tool for this purpose. The measurement with the handheld sensor was non-destructive and fast so that representative plot area could be measured easly and time efficiently. Crop rotation influnced early crop growth, with lower NDVI values for crops sown after maize and sunflower than crops after pea. The differences between the rotations diminished later in the growing season, and there was no advers effect on final yield. Fertilization rate significantly increased the NDVI values compared to non-fertilized plots. No tillage with residue retention, chopped or anchored, was characterized by a slower initial growth than chisel tillage practices, but this was compensated for by increased crop performance in the later stages. The results indicated that different rotation, tillage, residue management and N fertilization rate practices influence crop growth and development. It is important to monitor and understand crop growth under different management systems to select the right varieties and adjust timing and practice of input supply in each cropping system.

The relationships among grain yield and yield components of 6 winter wheat cultivars in Romania, as affected by two contrasting tillage systems (no tillage-NT and chisel tillage-CT) were studied during five growing seasons (2011/12-2015/16) at Fundulea, which is located in the middle of Eastern Romanian Danube Plain. In order to determine the relationship between the investigated traits, both correlation method and linear regression were used on the level of significance 5%, 1% and 0.1%, dependant variables being considered as already late formed features in ontogenesis. Under both NT and CT tillage systems, mean positive correlations between number of kernels per spike and individual kernel weight per spike (r=0.783***and r=0.524**, respectively) and strong positive correlations between grain yield and number of spikes mˉ² (r=0.893*** and r=0.905***, respectively) were established. Weak correlation between kernel weight per spike and thousand kernel weight (r=0.379* and r=0.456*, respectively) was also established. Due to lower nutrients availability in NT system versus CT system, one can ascertain a significant diminution of number of grains per spike and grain weight per spike together with spike density increasing. Under CT system versus NT system, the significant TKW diminution due to increasing of number of grains per spike could be attributed to the diminution of soil moisture preservation as follows of crop residue incorporation.

Much research around the world has compared the performance of maize (M) and soybean (S) grown under conventional and no tillage systems; however relatively few long-term experiments have been conducted in Eastern Romanian Danube Plain area. In 2012, an experiment was established at Fundulea – Romania, on cambic chernozem soil, testing two tillage treatments [no-tillage (NT) and chisel tillage (CT)], and two crop sequences [soybean (S) and winter wheat (WW) for maize and maize (M) and winter wheat (WW) for soybean]. When compared the two tillage systems, in most experimental years (2012-2017), M as well as S yields were statistically similar. Significant yield increases were determined by higher water amounts of rainfall during vegetation period (from April until August). The smallest yield increase of tillage treatments in NT indicates that CT can be superior to NT as response at higher water amounts of rainfall. WW, as previous crop, had a positive, significant influence on M and S yields. Considering the continuous increasing cost of labor, field equipment and fuel, cultivation of spring crops, as M and S, is preferable within NT system. Additionally, the farmers who adopt the NT practice for spring crops (M and S) can benefit by the economical credit given for preserving the top soil, and possible by the advantages of WW crop rotation.