Influence of tillage practices on the grain yield of maize and some soil properties in maize - wheat cropping system of Iran

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of various tillage practices on grain yield of maize and some soil properties. Two treatments of wheat residue management (burned & retained) along with three tillage methods (conventional tillage, reduced tillage & minimum tillage) were used in the study. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design in strip plot arrangement, with four replications. Reduced tillage and conventional tillage treatments had the highest grain yield and plant height, respectively. At harvest, grain protein, organic matter, potassium and phosphorus in soil were higher in minimum tillage treatment than others. Wheat residue treatments had non-significant effect on all traits. However, grain yield, 1000 grain weight, grain protein and organic matter were higher in retained residue treatment. Interaction of reduced tillage and conventional tillage with retained residue produced highest grain yield (15.96 & 14.94 t ha, respectively).