Planting Date And Tillage Effects On Corn Following Corn Or Alfalfa Sod

Author : Mario Perez-Bidegain
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 168 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (576 download)

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Download or read book Tillage System and Planting Date Effects on Corn (Zea Mays L.) and Soybean (Glycine Max L.) Yield written by Mario Perez-Bidegain and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although tillage systems produce different soil conditions, which result in different ideal planting dates, and crops respond to planting date, most of tillage research is conducted based on a calendar date. If a tillage system by planting date interaction exists, most of the planting date recommendations based on calendar date research could change. Different authors have modified surface residue distribution in an attempt to achieve optimal soil conditions for crop growth in the row zone while maintaining optimum soil conservation conditions in the mulched interrow zone. A reasonable goal for soil management involves identifying the level of soil and residue disturbance necessary to optimize soil environmental conditions for the corn plant and residue cover for soil conservation. In order to design a tillage system that produces a residue-free band-width based on site-specific soil properties and crop needs, the use of a model to capture the effect of surface residue management, soil non-uniformities (i.e., row zone tillage), and tillage is necessary. Considering a potential tillage by planting date interaction and site-specific strip tillage opportunities, this thesis has the following objectives. The first objective is to test the performance of strip tillage, no tillage, and conventional tillage when each system is planted on the day that optimum soil temperature and water conditions for planting are reached for each system. The second objective is to conduct a soil temperature sensitivity analysis to residue-free band-width, and tillage depth with strip tillage using a model that couples water and heat transport in non-uniform soils. In a two-year study on a poorly drained soil tillage system, effects on corn yield were not detected when preestablished soil temperature and water content criteria were used to determine the day of planting each system. On the other hand, planting date has an effect on corn yield. A tillage system by planting date interaction was detected for soybean yield in one of two years, when drought conditions existed during the second half of July and August. Soil temperature, soil water content, and matric potential were most sensitive to changes in residue-free band-width at 0.05-m in both soils studied.