Tillage effects on dryland soil physical properties in northeastern Montana

• Published in: Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2011-01, Vol.42 (16-19), p.2179-2187
• Main Authors: Jabro, J.D, Sainju, U.M, Lenssen, A.W, Evans, R.G
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; arid lands; Biological and medical sciences; bulk density; conventional tillage; Cover crops; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; fallow; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Moisture content; no-tillage; Physical properties; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; saturated hydraulic conductivity; soil depth; soil penetration resistance; Soil science; soil structure; soil surveys; Soil tillage; soil water; Soils; spring wheat; Structure, texture, density, mechanical behavior. Heat and gas exchanges; Tillage; Tillage. Tending. Growth control; Triticum aestivum; water content
• ISSN: 0010-3624; 1532-2416; 1532-4133
• DOI: 10.1080/00103624.2011.602449

We evaluated the effect of no tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) on soil penetration resistance (PR), bulk density (BD), gravimetric moisture content (MC), and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) during the fallow phase of a spring wheat–fallow rotation. The study was conducted on two soils mapped as Williams loam at the Froid and Sidney sites. Soil measurements were made on 19 May, 23 June, and 4 August 2005 at the Froid site and on 6 June and 8 July 2005 at the Sidney site. Tillage had no effect on either soil properties except on the PR at Sidney. However, soil PR, MC, and BD varied significantly with depth regardless of tillage and location. Further, soil PR and MC varied with the date of sampling at both locations, and PR generally increased with decreased MC at all soil depths. Soil Ks was slightly influenced by tillage at both locations.