Reduced Tillage and Direct Seeding Applications on Second Crop Maize and Sunflower

Reduced tillage practices for corn, sunflower, soybeans, cotton, and cereal grains were introduced over 50 years ago to conserve soil and water. Crops grown without tillage use water more efficiently, the water-holding capacity of the soil increases, and water losses from runoff and evaporation are reduced. In addition, soil organic matter and populations of beneficial insects are maintained, soil and nutrients are less likely to be lost from the field and less time and labor is required to prepare the field for planting. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of reduced tillage and direct seeding systems on the second crop maize (Zea mays L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) for the comparison of the conventional system in Menemen located in the west region of Turkey. In this research, conventional tillage, three systems of reduced tillage and direct seeding were applied in dry and wet soil conditions after harvesting previous crop of wheat and barley. Rotary tiller, chisel and rotary tiller combination, and heavy duty disk harrow were selected as reduced tillage systems. The effect of tillage systems on the soil physical properties such as bulk density, penetration resistance, and organic matter were examined. Plant height and yield were measured for the effectiveness of the tillage system. Conventional tillage system had more different kind of weeds comparing the other systems. According to the results, while tillage systems were found statistically significant for bulk density, penetration resistance, and organic matter of the soil there was found no statistical difference for plant yields of corn and sunflower.