Investigating the Effects of Conventional and No-Tillage Cultivation Methods on Plant Physiological Processes Using Genome-Wide Transcriptomic Analysis

Despite the growing demand for sustainable agricultural systems, the long-term effects of tillage practices remain controversial. No-tillage (NT) systems offer several potential benefits, including improved soil structure, enhanced soil biological activity, and reduced environmental stress, but their application can also be associated with challenges such as difficulty in weed control or variable crop yield. Although previous studies have extensively investigated the effects of NT systems on soil and crop, limited knowledge is available about the cellular adaptation mechanisms of plants, especially gene expression and biochemical responses. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of conventional tillage (CT) and NT systems in sunflower plants using an integrated transcriptomic and biochemical approach. We performed genome-wide transcriptomic analysis based on next-generation sequencing on leaf samples from three different field sites, supplemented by measurements of biochemical parameters related to selected metabolic processes. Exploratory transcriptomic analysis indicated that several gene expression changes related to primary metabolic processes occurred in plants grown in the NT system compared to the CT system. These included processes related to photosynthesis, cellular respiration, carbohydrate metabolism and the biosynthesis of some amino acids. In parallel, we observed transcriptional patterns indicating increased activity of several secondary metabolic pathways, which may be related to adaptation mechanisms to environmental stress. Determination of total soluble sugar, crude protein, total phenolics and total flavonoids provided independent biochemical support for the changes indicated by the transcriptomic results. Our results suggest that the tillage system affects the cellular regulatory processes of sunflower. During adaptation to a no-tillage environment, plants can simultaneously maintain basic metabolic processes and activate defense mechanisms that may contribute to adaptation to changed growing conditions. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the molecular and physiological consequences of tillage systems in plants.