Different Tillage Systems and their Influence on Crops Yield Formation and Post-Harvest Residues

Tillage system is an eco-friendly farming method that can improve the soil health and increase the crop yields even under unfavorable climatic conditions. These benefits, however, will likely vary, based on the farming practice used, tillage, and crop types, which the current study seeks to address. During this triennial research, a crop rotation was as follows: soybeans (Glycine max L.), maize (Zea mays L.), and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). This study aimed to determine the effects of different tillage approaches (conventional tillage [CT], disk harrowing [DH], chiseling [CH], and subsoiling [SS]) on a crop residue and a crop yield as the indicators. The applied tillage systems resulted in the statistically significant differences in some yield components. The highest yields, the highest harvest index, and the highest biological yield in the soybean and maize cultivation were achieved with the SS and CH tillage systems, followed by the DH and CT tillage. The conservation (CH and SS), reduced (DH), and conventional (CT) tillage systems resulted in the statistically significant differences in the number of postharvest residues remaining on the soil surface.