Allelochemical Interactions in the Soil from No-tillage Versus Conventional-tillage Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) Systems

Abstract

Although today 1 s farmers have some of the most modern techniques at their disposal, one thing has not changed since man 1 s first agricultural enterprise--lost topsoil can never be reclaimed. Therefore, the choice of an efficient tillage system is paramount in a farmer's mind. In general terms, farmers have only two choices: conventional tillage or conservation till age. In a conventional till system, the residue from harvest is turned under the soil to facilitate decomposition. This has been the "Conventional" system used ever since the necessary machinery was invented. Included in this strategy are implements such as the moldboard, V-blade, disk, and others. In conservation tillage, the residue is left exposed on the soil to "Conserve" the natural resources, including topsoil. No-till, stubble mulch, and others are included in this strategy. Therefore, when CT is used in this paper, it implies conventional till, while NT means no-till, a type of conservation-tillage system.