A O

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Advances in Environmental Biology, 6(4): 1568-1576, 2012
ISSN 1995-0756
This is a refereed journal and all articles are professionally screened and reviewed
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The Effect of Different Cultivation and Residue Management on Corn Yield and Water
Consumption
1
Seyed Mohammadtaghi Ebrahimi, 2Hamid Reza Miri, 2Barmak Jafari Haghighi2
1
2
Graduated student, Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan Branch
Professor Assisitant, Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan Branch
Seyed Mohammadtaghi Ebrahimi, Hamid Reza Miri, Barmak Jafari Haghighi: The Effect of Different
Cultivation and Residue Management on Corn Yield and Water Consumption
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was evaluating the growth and compare yield and water consumption of corn
under treatments of conventional tillage, reduced tillage and no tillage during the different irrigation intervals.
This study was conducted at Arsanjan city, southern Iran in 2009. The experiment was split plot in randomized
completely blocks design with three tillage methods (conventional tillage without residues, minimum tillage and
conservation residues, and no tillage and reserve residues) as main factor and irrigation intervals (8 days, 11
days and 14 days intervals) as sub factor with four replication. Result of this study showed that 8 days irrigation
interval and conventional tillage produced the highest grain yield, biological yield, ear number, seed number and
seed weight in comparison with other treatments. But, by increasing irrigation interval to 14 days and decreasing
water usage, no tillage and reserve residue treatment could prevent reduction in grain yield. In general results
showed that residues management by reserving residue as a surface cover and improves tillage method to
minimum and no tillage can increase corn yield through improvement soil organic carbon which is the main
goal in conservation agriculture. We can reach to economic corn yield by reducing irrigation times and saving
water usage in warm and dry regions, so it is possible to plant corn in this area directly in residue of previous
crop.
Key word: Sustainable agriculture, direct planting, minimum tillage, residues management.
Introduction
Reduction of available freshwater, threat the
environment directly and economic parts especially
agriculture indirectly. Studies indicate that because
of increase population and the water consumption in
Iran, agricultural water quota would be reduce from
98% in 2000 to 87% by the year 2020, however, the
need for food and agriculture production will be
increased [1]. On the other hand, agriculture
department should have the program to decrease
water consumption by the half, and increase different
agricultural products by the two times till 25 next
years. The water use efficiency in Iran is less than
0.7 kg m-3 [1].
Agricultural management styles have an
important role in the efficient use of soil and water.
We should consider the preservation of resource
(especially soil and water). Conservation farming use
some practices in order to preserve these sources.
The use of conservation farming and no tillage come
back to 7000 years ago. Conservation agriculture is a
kind of agriculture that keeps the plant residue as
surface mulch, in order to preserve soil water,
increase soil quality, improve soil microorganism
and increase soil infiltration [2]. Use of plant residue
can reduce water evaporation from the soil [3] by
which reduces crop water use during growth period.
[4] Showed that wheat grain yield in no tillage
systems is higher than the conventional tillage
system.
The social and ecological benefits of
conservation tillage are sometimes offset by
diminished crop yields. However, increases in net
return per acre, in the case of field corn, are greater
because of reduced tractor, labor and equipment
costs [5]. One advantage of conservation tillage is a
lower fuel requirement for tillage operations,
although, yields may not be different from those
obtained with conventional tillage [6]. Additional
benefits of conservation tillage generally include
improved soil structure and organic matter, increased
soil biota and arthropods, cooler sub-tropical soils,
reduced power and labor required for tillage
operations, and decreased pre-plant soil moisture loss
[7, 8, 9]. Corn yield in Kentucky with conservation
tillage was superior to conventional tillage when
planting date was delayed [10].
Nowadays most of the fields under cultivation in
dry, low rainfall, Mediterranean climate are
Corresponding Author
Seyed Mohammadtaghi Ebrahimi, Graduated student, Islamic Azad University, Arsanjan Branch
E-mail: [email protected]
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Adv. Environ. Biol., 6(4): 1568-1576, 2012
subjected to soil erosion, reduction of soil nutrients
and contamination sub surface water because of
dense cultivation, continuous tillage [11]. Generally
it has observed that traditional and severe cultivation
can cause reduction of minerals and organic matter
of soil, especially if tillage is done by plow while, the
amount of soil organic matter can increase by
retention of crop residue and use of green manure in
[12].
Because of importance of water shortage and
soil preparation practice the objective of this study
was investigation the effects tillage and residue
management on corn yield and water consumption in
southern Iran.
Materials and Methods
Experimental location:
This experiment was done in Arsanjan city,
southern Iran (between 53°, 7΄ to 53°, 34΄ altitudes
and 29°, 38΄ to 30°, 10΄ latitudes and 1600 meter
above sea level). The climate of this region is
semiarid with mean annual precipitation of 312.8
mm, mean annual temperature of 18.3°C and dry
period is longer than the humid period. The humid
period is 150 days that started from November till
April and the dry period is 215 days. The soil was
loamy clay with bulk density of 1.65 g cm-3, EC of
0.79 ds m-1 and pH of 7.2.
Experiment design:
This experiment is done in split plot using
randomized completely blocks design with four
replications. The main factors were three tillage
management and sub factor was irrigation in three
levels. Tillage treatments were 1) conventional
tillage using moldboard plow and harvest previous
crop (wheat) residues, 2) reduced tillage and keeping
the plants residues, 3) no tillage and direct seeding
corn with keeping plant residues. Irrigation
treatments were in three levels consisted of irrigation
in 8 days intervals, 11 days and 14 days intervals.
Experimental condition:
The area of main plots was 216 m2 and the sub
plots was 24m2 with two meter spaces between each
plot. The between row spacing was 75cm and within
row spaces of 12 cm. the corn variety was SC 704.
For land preparation in conventional tillage treatment
the previous crop residue was removing entirely from
the soil and then soil plowed. The land preparation
practice was includes, deep plow once, two disc,
leveler and seed cultivation. For reduced tillage
treatment this practice consisted of plowing residue
mulch with complex tillage and seed cultivation. For
no tillage treatment seed were planted directly in soil
without any tillage practice.
First irrigation in all treatment was done in 7th
July 2010. Supplementary irrigation will be done one
week later and after this irrigation done according to
treatments. Amount of consumed water in all
experimental units measured using a counter and
amount of water in different treatment was according
to Figure 1.
According to the soil testing results chemical
fertilization of experiment was consumption of 500
kg ha-1 nitrogen from urea, 100 kg ha-1 ammonium
phosphate and 5 kg ha-1 Fe (from iron-sulfate).
water usage (m3/ha)
18000
13500
9000
4500
0
8 days
11 days
14 days
Irrigation inte rval
Fig. 1: Water usage in different irrigation treatments
Harvest:
Harvests in all treatments was done by hand at
8th November from 3 m2 of each plot. Measured traits
were included grain yield, ear number, seed number
per ear, seed 1000-weight, plant height and
biological yield. All data were subjected to analysis
of variance using MSTATC software and mean were
compared using Duncan's multiple range test.
Results and Discussion
Plant height:
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Adv. Environ. Biol., 6(4): 1568-1576, 2012
drought stress can reduced plant cell number and
growth. One of the important effects of this problem
is reducing the elongation growth of plant. Generally
by progressing water stress first a fast reduction and
then slow and gradual reduction in the cell growth
could be observed. [16] and [3] show that in no
tillage system kept residues in soil surface can reduce
direct radiation of sun in the soil and thereby can
reduce evaporation from soil, especially in a dry
season. With the continue of plant growth and
covering soil surface water losses from this kind of
soil is reduces [17].
The results show that tillage had no significant
effects io plant height (Figure 2), but the effect of
irrigation (figure 3) and interaction effect of
irrigation and tillage (Figure 4) significantly (P<0.01)
affected plant height. The highest plant height were
observed in 8 day interval and no tillage treatment
(Figure 4). [13] show that tillage and plants residue
have no significant effect on wheat height, while [14]
observed that the corn height was higher in the
conventional tillage compared to no tillage.
[15] Suggested that irrigation is the most
important factor that limits corn growth. Any kind of
Fig. 2: Effect of tillage on corn height
Fig. 3: Effect of irrigation interval on corn height
Convnt. Till
min till
no till
2.5
Corn height (m)
a
a
a
b
b
b
2
c
b
b
1.5
1
8 days
11 days
14 days
Irrigation interval
Fig. 4: Interction effetc of irrigation and tillage on corn height
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Adv. Environ. Biol., 6(4): 1568-1576, 2012
treatment. By the other words, in reduced and no
tillage treatments, reduction of water has lower effect
on the reduction of the corn seeds number. These
results are in coordination with finding of [18] and
[19] which showed that in a suitable humid condition
crop produces higher seed number have the heavier
seeds. In fact with keeping the residues and reducing
tillage the effect of water shortage does not have
significant problem on the growth and grain yield.
Reduction of water in some stages of floret
development can cause severe problem for the seeds
by sterility of pollen or embryo abortion [20]. Water
shortage also can cause lack of coordination in a
release time of pollen and appearance of tassel which
results in reducing fertilization [21]. These problems
leads to severe reduction of seeds performance in dry
condition and also the effect of dehydration in this
stage are more severe than before [22].
Numbers Of Seed Per Ear Row:
The results showed that the effects of tillage and
irrigation and the interaction of them on seed number
were significant at 1% level. Conventional tillage
with 7.9% reduction and reduced tillage with 5.3%
reduction in comparison with no tillage factor have
lower seed number per row (figure 5). Figure 6
showed that 8 days irrigation had 14.6 and 22% more
seed per ear row in comparison with 11 days and 14
days irrigation intervals respectively. Among
interaction treatments in conventional tillage
treatment increasing irrigation interval from 8 to 11
and 14 days number of seed was reduced by 17 and
30%, respectively. In reduced tillage treatment,
increase of irrigation from 8 to 11 and 14 days cause
a reduction of 17 and 25 in seed number, respectively
while, these value were 7 and 12.2% in no tillage
Fig. 5: Effect of tillage on seed per ear row
Fig. 6: Effect of irrigation interval on seed per ear row
Convnt. Till
seed number
46
a
a
min till
a
no till
b
c
bc
c
34
e
d
22
10
8 days
11 days
14 days
Irrigation interval
Fig. 7: Interction effetc of irrigation and tillage on Seed per ear row
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Adv. Environ. Biol., 6(4): 1568-1576, 2012
showed the highest number of rows per ear and the
lowest was belong to conventional tillage and 14
days irrigation (12 rows per ear). [22] observed that
no tillage and conservation tillage systems improved
soil environment and can increase distribution of
corn root in the soil. Conservation tillage can provide
the root distribution needs and biological activity of
plant the same as deep plow. Our results are in
coordinate with [18] and [19] that showed in a
condition with keeping the plant residues and
reduction of tillage detrimental effect of less water
on the yield can be diminished.
Number of Seed Rows in Ear:
Effect of tillage, irrigation and the interaction
effect of irrigation and tillage on number seed row
were significant. No tillage treatment produced 14
rows per ear while conventional tillage with the 13
rows showed the lowest seed row (Figure 8).
According to the effect of irrigation on seed rows it
was observed that 8 days irrigation with 14 rows
showed the highest value and the lowest value
belonged to 14 days irrigation intervals with 13 rows
per ear (Figure 9). In the interaction effect (Figure
10), no tillage treatment and 8 days irrigation interval
Fig. 11: Effect of tillage on seed 1000 weight
Fig. 12: Effect of irrigation interval on seed 1000 weight
seed weight (g)
Convnt. Till
264
a
a
min till
no till
a
b
b
b
246
c
bc
d
228
210
8 days
11 days
14 days
Irrigation inte rval
Fig. 13: Interction effetc of irrigation and tillage on seed 1000 weight
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Adv. Environ. Biol., 6(4): 1568-1576, 2012
Seed 1000 weight:
The effects of tillage, irrigation and the
interaction effect of tillage and irrigation on seed
weight were significant (p<0.01). Figure 11 shows
that although the seed weight is not significant in
reduced and no tillage treatments in conventional
tillage its weight reduced by 1.2%. [23] showed that
using the no tillage system in comparison with
common tillage can increase the weight of grains.
Conservation tillage can reduce the drought stress
effects and increase the weight of grains because of
the plant residues and the keeping soil moisture. In
this way there was a significant difference between
conventional tillage treatment and removing the
residues with reduced or no tillage. Figure 12 showed
the highest seed weight belonged to 8 days irrigation
intervals. This means that suitable moisture condition
in root area can complete the reproductive stage and
increase the chance of transfer of photosynthate into
the seeds. When the potential of seed number was
determined in plant moisture stress has less effect on
the number of seeds and in this condition moisture
stress can affect grain yield by changing the average
weight of grains [15]. In the interaction effects
keeping plant residues and reduced tillage reduced
the effect of less water and growth and seeds
development (Figure 13). Management of residues
can keep soil water and reduce evaporation and also
increase water penetration into soil, so the
management ways of residues as no tillage and
conservation tillage can be a effective way in order to
keep water in dry regions [24].
Grain yield:
The results show that effect tillage on grain yield
was not significant, but the effect of irrigation and
interaction effect of irrigation and tillage were
significant (p<0.01). Corn grain yield in conventional
tillage decrease by 2.5 and 3.7% in comparison with
reduced tillage and no tillage respectively (Figure
14). Among irrigation treatment the highest grain
yield belonged to 8 days irrigation intervals while the
lowest yield belonged to 14 days irrigation interval
(Figure 15). Grain yield in decreased by 7.9 and
24.7% in 11days and 14 days irrigation, respectively.
In interaction effect of tillage and irrigation (Figure
16), conventional tillage and 8days irrigation interval
showed the highest grain yield but in 14 days
irrigation and conventional tillage the lowest grain
yield was observed. In the conventional tillage, with
increasing irrigation from 8 to 11 and 14 days
interval grain yield was reduced by 10 and 35.2%
respectively but, in reduced tillage treatment these
reductions were 10.2 and 20.1 respectively while, in
no tillage treatment the reduction were only 3.3 and
17.2% for increasing irrigation interval from 8 to 11
and 14 days. By other words, in reduced tillage and
no tillage treatments the reduction of water has less
detrimental effects on grain yield. The result of these
experiments is coordinate with the [18] and [19].
In fact keeping the plants residues and reduction
of tillage operations the effect of reduced water on
growth and corn yield is diminish. In this situations
plant transfer more assimilate into the reproductive
parts, especially the seeds, and can increase its
potential. [22] observed that conservation tillage
systems can improved the soil environment so plant
root distribution in the soil is better in these planting
systems. By this way we can keep moisture in hot
soil that covered with plant residues. In an optimal
condition of irrigation keeping plant residue has not
useful effect on increasing of grain yield but, in
condition with reduced irrigation (11 and 14 days
interval) keeping residues and conservation tillage
has useful effect on grain yield because the residue
can keep the moisture and micro organic process.
Fig. 14: Effect of tillage on grain yield
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Adv. Environ. Biol., 6(4): 1568-1576, 2012
Fig. 15: Effect of irrigation interval on grain yield
Convnt. Till
a
a
b
GY (kg/ha)
10210
min till
bc bc
no till
b
c
c
d
8210
6210
4210
2210
210
8 days
11 days
14 days
Irrigation interval
Fig. 16: Interction effetc of irrigation and tillage on grain yield
Biological yield:
The results showed that the effect of tillage
biological yield was not significant while, the effect
of irrigation and interaction effect of irrigation and
tillage were significant (P<0.01). Biomass production
was similar among three tillage systems (Figure 17).
Among irrigation treatments the highest biological
yield belonged to 8 days irrigation and the lowest
belonged to 14 days irrigation (Figure 18). It was
observed that increasing irrigation time from 8 days
to 11 and 14 days cause 6.7 and 24.3% reduction in
biological yield. In the interaction effects of
irrigation and tillage conventional tillage and 8 days
irrigation produced the highest biological yield
while, the lowest belonged to conventional tillage
and 14 days irrigation interval (Figure 19). In
conventional tillage treatment increasing irrigation
interval from 8 days to 11 and 14 days cause 8.1 and
28.3% reduction in biomass but, in reduced tillage
increase of irrigation interval reduce biomass
production 4.5 and 24% respectively. In no tillage
treatment these reduction values were only 7.4 and
20.5%. In fact in a reduced and no tillage treatment
reduction of water has less effect corn biomass
production. In the 8 days irrigation conservation
tillage treatment cause reduction of biological yield
compared to conventional tillage but, in 11 and 14
day's irrigation conservation tillage treatments
produce more biological yield in comparison with
conventional tillage. In an optimal irrigation
conditions keeping the plants residues have not
useful effect on plant growth and biomass
production. Lack of water in a critical step of
development and growth of a plant can reduce
economic yield while, it has less effect on biological
yield [25]. [26] showed that with the use
conventional and conservation tillage have no
significant effects on corn biological yield.
Fig. 17: Effect of tillage on biological yield
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Adv. Environ. Biol., 6(4): 1568-1576, 2012
Fig. 18: Effect of irrigation interval on biological yield
Convnt. Till
a
b
no till
b
cd c
18000
BY (kg/ha)
min till
d
16000
g
14000
f
e
12000
10000
8 days
11 days
14 days
Irrigation inte rval
Fig. 19: Interction effetc of irrigation and tillage on biological yield
Conclusion:
The results of this experiment showed that
tillage operation and management of plant residues
solely dose not have any effect on corn yield
production but they play an important role in
providing water for the plants. Each factor that can
prevent evaporation and helps to keep water for
longer time with a suitable drainage can reduce water
consumption in hot and low precipitation area and
also in can prevent yield reduction. In hot and low
precipitation area with heavy soils its better to use
reduced or no tillage operations only with situation
of adding organic material into the soil. In this way
because the reduction of soil surface evaporation
plant can use the inside water for a longer time and
encounter with less stress. Conservation tillage is the
factors that can be the most effective factors for
protective water resource improving the soil. Based
on our experiments the different tillage methods in
conservation agriculture can help to improve soil
condition and structure. It can increase macro and
micronutrients of the soil in a suitable humid
condition.
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