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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #182509
Title: NO-TILL AND TILLAGE CONVERSION EFFECTS ON SOIL PROPERTIES AND SOYBEAN YIELD.

Author
item TYLER, DONALD - UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
item Donald, Patricia
item EASH, NEAL - UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/10/2005
Publication Date: 6/19/2005
Citation: Tyler, D., Donald, P.A., Eash, N.S. 2005. No-till and tillage conversion effects on soil properties and soybean yield.. American Society of Agronomy. CD June 19-21, 2005. www.agronomy.org

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils is one way the industry could have an impact on carbon dioxide emissions. No-tillage cropping has been shown to enhance carbon storage. The effect of conversion of long term tilled and no-tilled treatments is being evaluated in an experiment that began in 1981 and initially compared five tilled treatments to no-tillage. Since the mid 1980's the comparison has been between three tilled and three no-tilled soybean cropping systems. In the spring of 2002 each plot of the tilled and no-tilled treatments were split and one side of each plot was converted from tilled to no-tilled or vice versa. Prior to the conversion each side was sampled for soil carbon and nitrogen. Immediately after tillage they were sampled again. Yield differences have varied since conversion with a decline on the tilled area of the three no-tilled treatments in the third season after conversion. In the first season nematode levels also increased about five-fold on the tilled side of the previous no-tilled plots. Carbon and nitrogen levels have been evaluated each spring since conversion and will be reported.