HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Perez-Bidegain, M. Articles by Ciha, A. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Perez-Bidegain, M. Articles by Ciha, A. Agricola Articles by Perez-Bidegain, M. Articles by Ciha, A. Related Collections Water Content Maize Management Tillage

Tillage

Tillage System by Planting Date Interaction Effects on Corn and Soybean Yield

Agronomy Hall, Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA 50011-1010

^* Corresponding author (rmc{at}iastate.edu)

Received for publication February 22, 2006. Spring soil temperature and soil water content can be influenced by tillage system. If a tillage system and planting date interaction exists, planting on a single date, as is done in most tillage trials, could bias yield results. We tested for this interaction by comparing corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] yields using strip tillage, no tillage, and disk-chisel tillage systems with planting dates determined by soil temperature and water content conditions within each tillage system. A 3-yr study (2002–2004) was conducted on a site near Newton, IA that had three soil types: Cumulic Hapludolls, Aquic Hapludolls, and Cumulic Haplaquolls. A split-plot design was used with tillage as whole plots arranged in four randomized complete blocks. Crops in all tillage system treatments were planted on three dates that comprised the split-plots. The criteria to determine the planting dates were soil temperature (>10°C for corn and >13°C for soybean for 12 consecutive hours) and soil water content (less than or equal to the lower plastic limit for any of the tillage treatments) at the 0.05-m depth. A planting date occurred for each of the tillage systems as these criteria were met. For both crops, the earliest date having these soil conditions occurred simultaneously for disk-chisel and strip tillage. The no-tillage plots exhibited these conditions between 4 and 28 d and between 6 and 15 d later for corn and soybean, respectively, than for the other tillage treatments. Corn planted with disk-chisel tillage yielded 0.8 Mg ha^–1 more than the mean of the other two tillage treatments across years. Planting date affected corn yield only in 2003. For soybean, planting date affected yield. Soybean planted at the early planting date yielded 0.16 Mg ha^–1 more than the mean of the other planting dates across years. There was no interaction of tillage x planting date for yield of either crop. This research indicates that recommendations derived from existing tillage research using a common planting date are valid.