Effect of Conservation Tillage and Integrated Weed Management on Yield, Energy Consumption and Profitability of Wheat in Khuzestan

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tillage and integrated weed management on growth, yield, yield components, resource use efficiency and inputs such as energy and herbicides in wheat.   

Material and methods:

This research was conducted in split plots and randomized complete block design with three replications in the research farm of the Faculty of Agriculture of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in the 2018-19. The treatments included three tillage practices, viz. conventional tillage (disc plow + disc), low tillage (disc + the retractor) and zero-tillage (direct linear planting), as main plot and six weed management options, viz.  (no control, manual weeding 30 days interval after sowing, bromoxynil + MCPA herbicide @ 1.5 liters per hectare, plant residue (mulch) + Atlantis @ 1.5 liters per hectare, Atlantis @ 1.5 liters and metribiosine @ 150 grams per hectare. Hectares) as post-emergence was considered as a sub-plot that was applied on wheat of Mehregan cultivar (especially in the semi-arid climate of the south).

Among the studied traits, grain yield was only affected by the main effect of weed control. The lowest grain yield was observed under uncontrolled conditions with an average of 1.93 t.ha-1 and the highest grain yield in weed management treatment was observed in bromoxynil + MCPA with an average of 4.14 t.ha-1. There was no statistically significant difference between the weed control methods. In terms of energy and economic benefits, the lowest total cost in conventional tillage systems, minimum, and no-tillage was related to uncontrolled treatment.

In general, due to the higher ratio of profit to cost of the no-tillage system as compared to the conventional tillage system, it seems that this method is suitable tillage system to assess proper weed control in wheat cultivation, especially in order to prevent moisture lost and degradation of structure in soils of Khuzestan province.