Tillage system regulates the soil moisture tension, penetration resistance and temperature responses to the temporal variability of precipitation during the growing season

Abstract

A b s t r a c t. At present there is little information available concerning the relationship between the tillage system applied and the soil moisture tension, penetration resistance, soil moisture content, and temperature responses to the temporal variability of precipitation under the semi-arid Mediterranean environment. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of standard tillage (ploughing to 25-35 cm) and conservation tillage shallow (loosening to 10 cm) on temporal changes in the three properties in response to the precipitation pattern in Croatia. The temporal changes in soil moisture tension were determined using Watermark sensors (at 15 and 30 cm), and penetration resistance (at 0-30 cm) was determined with an Eijkelkamp penetrometer in spring under winter wheat. After heavy precipitation, the soil moisture tensions were similar irrespective of the tillage system used and the measurement depth, while with the increasing length of the period without precipitation (using the last precipitation incident as the starting timepoint), the soil moisture tensions increased to a greater extent under conservation tillage shallow as compared to standard tillage. The temporal changes in soil moisture tension in response to precipitation were less sensitive at the 30 than at the 15 cm depth. The adoption of conservation tillage shallow increased the amount of topsoil organic matter as compared to standard tillage. This study indicates that conservation tillage shallow is a promising practice in terms of soil quality improvement and crop productivity under highly variable Mediterranean climate conditions.