Tillage effect on soil water content and corn yield in a strip intercropping system

• Published in: Agronomy journal 1997-11, Vol.89 (6), p.893-899
• Main Authors: Ghaffarzadeh, M, Garcia Prechac, F, Cruse, R.M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; AGUA DEL SUELO; AIR TEMPERATURE; AVENA SATIVA; Biological and medical sciences; CANOPY; CARACTERES DE RENDIMIENTO; CERO-LABRANZA; COMPOSANTE DE RENDEMENT; CONVENTIONAL TILLAGE; COUVERT; CROP YIELD; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; CUBIERTA DE COPAS; CULTIVO EN BANDAS; CULTIVO INTERCALADO; CULTIVO MIXTO; CULTURE EN BANDE; CULTURE EN MELANGE; CULTURE INTERCALAIRE; DROUGHT STRESS; EAU DU SOL; ESTRES DE SEQUIA; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Cropping systems and patterns; GLYCINE MAX; INTERCROPPING; INTERPLANTING; IOWA; LABRANZA; LABRANZA MINIMA; MEDICAGO SATIVA; MINIMUM TILLAGE; MIXED CROPPING; NON TRAVAIL DU SOL; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; PLANT WATER RELATIONS; PRECIPITACION ATMOSFERICA; PRECIPITATION; RELACIONES PLANTA AGUA; RELATION PLANTE EAU; RENDEMENT DES CULTURES; RENDIMIENTO DE CULTIVOS; Soil science; Soil tillage; SOIL WATER; STRESS DU A LA SECHERESSE; STRIP CROPPING; TEMPERATURA DEL AIRE; TEMPERATURE DE L'AIR; TILLAGE; Tillage. Tending. Growth control; TRAVAIL DU SOL; TRAVAIL DU SOL MINIMAL; Water and solute dynamics; WATER STRESS; YIELD COMPONENTS; ZEA MAYS; ZERO TILLAGE
• ISSN: 0002-1962; 1435-0645
• DOI: 10.2134/agronj1997.00021962008900060008x

A three-crop strip intercropping system including corn (Zea mays L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], and oat (Avena sativa L.) interseeded with nondormant alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), was established in south-central Iowa on a poorly drained Haig soil (fine, smectitic, mesic Vertic Argiaquoll). In 1989 (a dry year) and 1990 (a wet year), we studied the effect of tillage treatment (conventional, CT; reduced, RT; and no-till, NT) and row position on soil water content, canopy and air temperatures, corn grain yield, and yield components. No-till resulted in the most favorable soil water status, plant water status, and grain yield in 1989. No-till had the poorest performance in 1990, mainly because of excessive soil water. The opposite was true for conventional till in both years. Reduced till yield equaled that for the most productive tillage treatment in both years. Conventional and reduced tillage resulted in lower corn grain yield at the border with oaf-alfalfa than with soybean because oat depleted soil water more than soybean in both years. In contrast, for no-till the corn grain yield at the border with oat-alfalfa was 6% greater than corn yield bordering soybean in 1989 and 13% greater in 1990. When water was not limiting, in 1990, both corn borders outyielded the center rows by an average of 14% in NT, 27% in RT, and 28% in CT. Soil water content rankings throughout the 1989 season were NT RT CT and row position rankings were soybean border center oats-alfalfa border. In 1990, there were no soil water content differences between tillage treatments and row positions. Reduced tillage is the most suitable soil management system for corn production with three-crop strip intercropping on this soil, considering consistently high relative yields for both wet and dry years