Conserving Soil Fertility and Sustaining Crop Performance Via Soil Tillage Systems and Crop Rotation

Hamed, Lamy. M. M.; Fouda, Sara; Emara, Eman I.R.

doi:10.21608/asejaiqjsae.2019.31624

Conserving Soil Fertility and Sustaining Crop Performance Via Soil Tillage Systems and Crop Rotation

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Soil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt

² Soil Sciences Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Egypt

³ Agronomy Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Egypt.

10.21608/asejaiqjsae.2019.31624

Abstract

Crop rotation / tillage impact on status of plant nutrients, crop production and soil properties was studied under North Sinai conditions, Egypt. The study assessed crop rotation (rice/clover (Berseem) / wheat/ soybean/ wheat (summers 2016 to 2018) under no tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) systems and implications of crop and soil performance. CT revealed more positive implications over NT in few cases. Contents of available nutrients in soil after harvest were greater after legumes. Contents of Fe, Mn and Zn in soil after crop harvest showed increases with CT than NT Rotation cropping maintained similar levels after legume crop especially compared to cereals crop. Crop productivity was in some cases higher CT than NT although NT increased plant chlorophyll, protein and proline.

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