Long-Term Effect of Tillage Practices on Soil Physical Properties and Winter Wheat Yield in North-East Romania

Segla Serginho Cakpo, Tudor George Aostăcioaei, Gabriel-Dumitru Mihu, Cosmin-Costel Molocea, Cosmin Ghelbere, Ana Ursu and Denis Constantin Țopa ()
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Segla Serginho Cakpo: Research Institute for Agriculture and Environment “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 9, Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Tudor George Aostăcioaei: Department of Pedotechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3, Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Gabriel-Dumitru Mihu: Department of Pedotechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3, Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Cosmin-Costel Molocea: Department of Pedotechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3, Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Cosmin Ghelbere: Research Institute for Agriculture and Environment “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 9, Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Ana Ursu: Department of Pedotechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3, Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania
Denis Constantin Țopa: Department of Pedotechnics, Faculty of Agriculture, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” Iasi University of Life Sciences, 3, Mihail Sadoveanu Alley, 700490 Iasi, Romania

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Soil quality, characterized by its physical, chemical, and biological properties, is closely linked to soil management. Reducing soil disturbance can limit soil degradation; however, tillage is still considered essential, particularly on poorly drained soils. This study aimed to identify the optimal tillage practices for winter wheat crops following long-term no tillage practice and crop rotation (2020–2023). Additionally, it highlights the considerable advantages of particular tillage practices in emphasizing their role in enhancing soil health and sustainable agriculture. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design with three replications and two tillage practices: no tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT). The research was carried out on a cambic chernozem soil type. The results revealed that physical properties such as bulk density (BD) can increase or decrease under NT, while soil water content (SWC) increased under the same system. The status of water-stable aggregates (WSAs) also improved in NT (88.41%) due to the incorporation of cover crop or plant residues in the 0–10 cm depth. Notably, the highest SWC value at harvest was obtained in the 0–10 cm soil depth, under NT, reaching 24.47%. Grain yields over four years of research were also influenced by tillage systems, resulting in mean yields of 6070 kg/ha for CT and 4285.25 kg/ha for the NT system. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated for the soil physical properties considered in pairs. Between BD and water-stable aggregates (WSAs), there was a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.458**) and statistical significance, but no linear correlation between BD and SWC (r = 0.089), and between WSAs and SWC (r = 0.026). Generally, using NT, which reduces soil disturbance and maintains residues on the surface, could contribute to land sustainability and climate mitigation in north-east Romania.

Keywords: no tillage; bulk density; water-stable aggregates; winter wheat; yield (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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