Effects of soil compaction caused by tillage and seed covering techniques on soil physical properties and performance of wheat crop

To link the damage caused to the soil structure by the movements of machinery and other crop production operations and their effects on plant fate, a 24-plots experiment was established. The impact of two secondary tillage implements (Disc harrow and cultivator) and four seed covering techniques ranging from zero planking to double planking with 152 kg weight were studied on plant vigor, rate of germination and ultimately yield of wheat. The objective of the study was to investigate the suitable soil compacting operations that should not harm the plant growth due to soil compaction but also give proper seed-soil contact. Regarding tillage implements, the results revealed that cultivator performed better than disc harrow. Among the four seed covering techniques, planking once with 30 kg weight showed the best performance. It was followed by planking once with 152 kg weight, which was better than zero planking and planking twice with 152 kg weight. Hence it can be concluded from the study that seed covering technique of planking with 30 kg weight and tillage with cultivator as secondary tillage equipment can boost the yield of wheat crop.