EFFECT OF MINIMUM TILLAGE ON CONSERVATION OF PRECISE LEVELED SOIL TO PRODUCE SOME WINTER CROPS AFTER RICE

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Senior Researcher at the Ag. Eng. Res. Inst. (AEnRI), Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

During 2006 winter season, this study was carried out at Kalabsho Region, El-Dakhlia Governorate, to find out the effect of minimum tillage on conservation of precise leveled soil to produce some winter crops after rice harvest. During 2006 summer season, before rice planting, the soil was leveled using laser control equipment. After rice harvest, two experiments were established for planting clover, representing the flat planting and sugar beet, representing the ridge planting. Each experiment was designed statistically as a split plots with three replications. The main plots were located for the precision land leveling treatment levels of 0, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.03% slope, comparing with the traditional leveling using the hydraulic scraper and the sub plots were devoted for the tillage methods levels of minimum tillage (chisel plough one pass) and conventional tillage (chisel plough 2 passes(, comparing with no-till. The obtained results could be concluded as follows:

The minimum tillage at the precision land leveling slope of 0.02% achieved the more desirable soil characteristics (the moderate soil mean weight diameter of 50 mm, the higher soil moisture content of 22.85%, the lower soil bulk density of 1.30 g/cm3, the lower soil penetration resistance of 1.21 MPa and the higher available soil macronutrients concentration of 30, 14 and 318 ppm for N, P and K, respectively).  
The minimum tillage at the precision land leveling slope of 0.02% accomplished higher degree of soil topography conservation and recorded the lower difference between the highest and the lowest spots.  
3.     The minimum tillage at the precision land leveling slope of 0.02% achieved the higher beet yield of 28.65 Mg/fed with a sucrose yield of 22.04% and complemented the higher total dry (14% moisture content d.b.) clover yield of 17.10 Mg/fed (2.12, 3.32, 4.04, 4.36 and 2.87 Mg/fed for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th cuts, respectively).

So, it is recommended to apply the minimum tillage, especially with the ridge planting, after rice harvest to conserve the precise leveled soil.

Main Subjects

References

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Misr Journal of Agricultural Engineering
Volume 27, Issue 4
October 2010
Pages 1125-1140

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