No-tillage cultivation offers significant advantages over con­ ventional tillage in terms of water, energy, and particularly soil conservation (Francis et al., 1987). However, continuous no-tillage farming on sandy Ultisols may lead to high bulk density that has a pronounced effect on soil strength due to traffic compaction and lack of plowing (NeSmith et al., 1987). This increase in soil stren...

Introduction Conservation tillage systems using sweep plows or field cultivators leave a high percentage of crop residues on the soil surface, which protects the soil from wind and water erosion (Johnson, 1950; Jones and Johnson, 1982; Allen and Fenster, 1986; Johnson et al., 1974). These systems have been successful in semiarid areas because meager rainfall after plowing does not allow weeds t...

It is widely believed that soil disturbance by tillage was a primary cause of the historical loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) in North America, and that substantial SOC sequestration can be accomplished by changing from conventional plowing to less intensive methods known as conservation tillage. This is based on experiments where changes in carbon storage have been estimated through soil samp...

in conventional tillage systems, uniform depth tillage is applied over the entire field; however, the depth of hardpan layer varies greatly within the field. site-specific tillage, which modifies physical properties of soil only where the tillage is needed for crop growth, could achieve significant savings in fuel consumption and drawbar power requirements. site-specific tillage can be implemen...

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield and quality responses to irrigation have not been described for conservation management systems that growers are rapidly adopting. We conducted a field experiment from 2001–2003 in the Tennessee Valley near Belle Mina, AL on a Decatur silt loam (fine, kaolinitic, thermic Rhodic Paleudults) to examine how irrigation regimes and tillage systems affect ginning ...

efficient energy use in agriculture sector is one of the prerequisites to sustainable agriculture, because it allows financial savings, fossil resources preservation along with decreasing trend of air pollution. this research was conducted at the agricultural research field of zanjan university to determine the level of input energy in different tillage systems in forage maize production when i...

This research focused on rill formation, rill density, and associated flow velocity distribution in rills at the field level and with different tillage treatments in the inland Pacific Northwest. The study was conducted by applying flow at three different rates under winter conditions, which provides the greatest potential for rill formation. The following tillage treatments were tested: chisel...

Simulation modeling is widely used to assess water contamination risk associated with pesticide use and for evaluating effectiveness of agricultural conservation practices. Currently the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is being used for this purpose in the USDA Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) Cropland National Assessment. In support of the CEAP modeling ef...

Soybean field experiments were performed to investigate the weed-suppressing effects of different tillage systems and cover crop mulches at two locations in southwest Germany during 2014 and 2015. The influence of three different tillage systems on weed control efficacy, soybean plant density, and crop yield was determined. In the no-till system (NT), two different cover crops, (rye and barley)...

by concerns about nutrient loading. Increased on-site nutrient loading from concentrated animal feeding opApplying organic matter (OM) amendments to cropland reduces erations (CAFOs) have prompted investigations into requirements for synthetic fertilizer and may eliminate yield differalternative uses for manure produced in various liveences between conventional and minimum tillage. The objectiv...