Effects of Subsoiling on Soil Moisture Under No-Tillage for Two Years

In order to improve the water use efficiency under conservation tillage, the effects of subsoiling on soil moisture under no-tillage were studied. An experiment of 40 cm subsoiling in a field kept under no-tillage for 2 years was operated from 2005 to 2006. Based on the data of the soil moisture and crop yield, the physical basis of subsoiling for water conservation and yield increase was analyzed. The results showed that the soil water storage under subsoiling, from the soil surface to a depth of 100 cm was more than that under no-tillage for the growth season. In the 0–100 cm soil depth, the soil moisture in 50–100 cm depth under subsoiling was more compared with no-tillage, which increased when it's drought and decreased when it's rainy with the increase in soil depth. Compared with no-tillage, subsoiling could reduce the water consumption of oats in the 0–50 cm depth and increase the water consumption in the 50–100 cm depth. Also, subsoiling increased the yield by 18.29% and the water use efficiency by 16.8% in a two-year average. The effects of subsoiling on water conservation and yield increase were affected by precipitation, and a well-proportioned rainfall was better to increase yield and water use efficiency. Meanwhile, subsoiling decreased bulk density, which increased with the available precipitation. Subsoiling under no-tillage is the effective rotation tillage to contain more soil moisture and improve water use efficiency in ecotone of North China.