Simulating the effects of zero tillage and crop residue retention on water relations and yield of wheat under rainfed semiarid Mediterranean conditions

► Planting date had a notable impact on crop performance and yield. ► Planting wheat immediately after the first sufficient rainfall in autumn bears little risk of crop failure due to early season droughts, and more should be done to encourage farmers to do so. ► About 55% of the seasonal precipitation (∼150 mm) was lost by unproductive soil evaporation, whereas zero-tillage and residue retention had only a minor mitigating impact.