Rotational Tillage: A Sustainable Management Technique for Wheat Production in the Semiarid Loess Plateau

Abstract

Rotational tillage could be an advisable attempt to overcome some of the adverse impacts of mono conservation tillage, and it is necessary to assess the feasibility of adoption of rotational tillage for sustaining productivity in the long run. Data from an 8-year site-specific field study conducted on the Loess Plateau were used to estimate the long-term effect of rotational tillage on soil water dynamic, soil properties and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) productivity. Three mono-tillage (No tilling (NT), subsoiling (ST) and ploughing (PT)) and three rotational tillage (NT/ST (NT and ST performed alternately), ST/PT, PT/NT) methods were applied after wheat harvest. Results showed the mean grain weight in the three rotational tillage treatments was 4.5% to 16.9% greater than in NT, and water use efficiency (WUE) was 5.0% to 18.8% greater over the 8 years. Rotational tillage could overcome the increased bulk density and nutrition stratification caused by NT and soil degradation due to PT. NT/ST was the best rotational tillage pattern with the highest grain yield and WUE, best soil property and relatively low mechanical cost in the present study. Here, we demonstrate that rotational tillage can improve wheat yield, WUE and soil properties compared with long-term no tilling and recommend using NT/ST as the optimal tillage pattern in similar ecological regions.