A comparison of wing-chisel tillage with conventional tillage on crop yield, resource conservation, and economics

A comparison of wing-chisel tillage for grain sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] production with conventional tillage was conducted over four cropping seasons. Grain sorghum yields were not significantly different for the two tillage systems. Yields were 4,120 kg/ha and 4,010 kg/ha (3,800 and 3,580 pounds/acre) for conventional and wing-chisel tillage, respectively. However, the economic benefit of wing-chisel tillage was $51.99/ha ($21.04/acre) better than for conventional tillage. The wing-chisel tillage method provided a significant conservation benefit because of increased sorghum residue cover, which decreased wind erosion during the time interval between cropping seasons. Increased storage of soil water and decreased in-row compaction also were observed for the wing-chisel tillage system compared with conventional tillage as practiced in the dryland region of South Texas.