Strip-tillage effect on seedbed soil temperature and other soil physical properties

Soil temperature increased in the top 5 cm under strip-tillage (1.2-1.4 °C) over no-tillage and it remained close to the chisel plow soil temperature. This increase in soil temperature contributed to an improvement in plant emergence rate index (ERI) under strip-tillage compared with no-tillage. The results show no significant differences in soil moisture status between the three tillage systems, although the strip-tillage soil profile has slightly greater moisture content than chisel plow. Moisture content through the soil profile particularly at the lower depths under all tillage treatments was greater than the plant available water (PAW). However, the changes in soil moisture storage were much greater with strip-tillage and chisel plow than no-tillage from post-emergence to preharvest at 0-30 and 0-120 cm. It was observed also that most change in soil moisture storage occurred between post-emergence and tasseling. Penetration resistance was similar for both strip-tillage and no-tillage, but commonly greater than chisel plow. In general, the findings show that strip-tillage can contribute effectively to improve plant emergence, similar to chisel plowing and conserve soil moisture effectively compared with no-tillage.