Effect of tillage method and wheat residual management on some soil properties and grain corn yield in Kerman, Iran

Managements of tillage and plant residual effect on some soil properties and consequently yield was studied. The goal of this research was to compare the effect of conventional tillage, minimum tillage and no tillage systems and the effect of wheat residues on some soil properties and corn grain yield in the subsequent year. For this purpose, four tillage treatments and two wheat residual managements were selected at Kerman Research Farm Station (Shahid Zendeh Rooh). Tillage treatments were: 1. conventional tillage (CT), 2. minimum tillage (RT), 3. no tillage and planting at the top of furrows (NT1) and 4. no tillage and planting on the base of furrows (NT2). Wheat residual managements were: 1. preservation of previous year wheat residues in the farm and 2. gathering pervious year wheat residues. This experiment was performed as a split plot in a randomized complete block design with three reapplications. Soil organic carbon (OC), bulk density (BD) and soil cone index, height of plant, yield and yield components were measured during the experiment. The results showed that OC in CT and RT treatments became minimum and reached to maximum in NT1 and NT2 treatments. The treatments had not any significant effects on BD. Soil cone index in CT treatment was the lowest and increased in RT and became maximum in NT1 and NT2 treatments. Grain yield was high in RT (13.99 ton/ha).The lowest yield was measured in NT1 and NT2 (10.59 and 9.99 ton/ha), respectively. Yield components (rows in ear and 1000 kernel weight) were not affected by the different treatments. It seems that application of the treatments could be efficient on more soil properties in a long term for corn cultivation.