Winter wheat grain yield stability under different tillage practices

Abstract

Grain yield stability is vital for achieving yield consistency across a broad range of environments. The significance of this is well documented in crop genetic studies and may equally be relevant for tillage practices used in croplands. The objective of this study was to evaluate long-term winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield stability under different tillage practices. The study was designed as a randomized complete block with three replications. The independent variable was tillage with three levels: no tillage (NT), stubble mulch (SM), and moldboard plow (MP). The experiment was established as a winter wheat-fallow under a dryland cropping system. Each phase of the wheat-fallow was present each year. The historical grain yield data from 1972 to 2010 were presented in this study. Yield stability was assessed using regression coefficients (β i ) and squared deviation from regression (S 2 d). Grain yield had average stability because each tillage practice had a β i of 1.0. The SM tillage had an S 2 d of 0.03 (P = .90), which was not significant than zero (0), while NT and MP had an S 2 d of 0.06 (P = .04) and 0.07 (P = .01), respectively, that were significant than zero (0). This suggests that SM had a more stable yield under different environments when compared with NT and MP. In general, using minimum tillage, such as SM, that maintains residues on the soil surface could contribute to yield resiliency across different environments and enhance land sustainability in dryland cropping systems.Abbreviations: MP, moldboard plow tillage; NT, no tillage; S 2 d, squared deviation from regression; SM, stubble mulch tillage; β i , regression coefficients.

Tillage practices affect soil fertility of a long‐term winter wheat–fallow rotation

“…This is particularly true for NT and SM, which over time had more SOM than MP. One previous study conducted at the same site suggested that grain yield averaged 2.6 Mg·ha −1 and that a 26‐year average grain yield did not vary by tillage practices (Aula et al., 2023). Another study conducted near the same site showed that applying several rates of N ranging from 0 to 125 kg·ha −1 had no substantial effect on grain yield in some years and an average yield of 2.7 Mg·ha −1 appears not substantially higher than the 26‐year average above (Ghimire et al., 2021).…”