مرکز منطقه ای اطلاع رساني علوم و فناوري - Effects of soil tillage systems on aggregate-associated total carbon and nitrogen contents under Çukurova conditions

Abstract :

The effect of six different tillage methods under long-term (2006-2014) wheat-maize and wheat-soyrotations on aggregate-assosicated total carbon and nitrogen content in two different depths (0-15, 15-30cm) were studied under Çukurova conditions in approximately 50 % clay containing soil. The tillagesystems consisted of conventional tillage with stubble (CT-1), conventional tillage with stubbles burned(CT-2), heavy disc harrow reduced tillage (RT-1), rototiller reduced tillage (RT-2), reduced tillage withheavy tandem disc harrow fallowed by no-tillage (RNT), and no-till (NT). Each tillage method appliedat 480 m2 plot and replicated three times in randomly distributed plots. Aggregate-associated total Ccontents in 0-15 cm depth were obtained higher in conservation tillage treatments compared totraditional tillage techniques at all aggregate sizes ( 4.0 mm, 4.0-2.0 mm, 2.0-1.0 mm and 1.0-0.5 mm).Aggregate-associated total C values under conservation tillage methods decreased with increasing soildepth. In both depths (0-15, 15-30 cm) and at all aggregate sizes the highest total nitrogen concentrationvalues were determined in RT-1 tillage treatment. Significant enhancements of total carbon bounding inaggregates were observed in conservation tillage methods compared to traditional tillage methods.Except for RT-1 in other conservation tillage methods (NT, RNT and RT-2) total nitrogen values werelower compared to conventional tillage methods.