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Long-Term Effects of Profile-Modifying Deep Plowing on Soil Properties and Crop Yield

^a USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Conservation and Production Res. Laboratory, P.O. Drawer 10, Bushland, TX 79012
^b Texas A&M Univ. Research and Ext. Center, Amarillo, TX

View larger version (30K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Cross-sectional diagram of conventional level terraces (top) and conservation-bench level terraces (bottom) that concentrate runoff water from adjacent watersheds for annual crop production during most years. Compared with conventional level terraces, watershed runoff is evenly distributed on larger bench areas of the conservation-bench terraces.

View larger version (104K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Moldboard plow used to till conservation benches to 0.70-m depth without inverting the soil. Plow was pulled by a D-8 Caterpillar tractor.

View larger version (16K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Mean soil bulk density determined with soil depth for early and long-term deep plowing effects after 4 yr (n = 3) and 31 yr (n = 8), respectively. Error bars represent the least significant difference (* P = 0.05, ** P = 0.01, ns = not significant).

View larger version (11K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Long-term effects of deep plowing on mean soil penetration resistance determined with depth (n = 8) after 31 yr. Error bars are the least significant difference (* P = 0.05, ns = not significant).

View larger version (10K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Long-term deep plowing effects on mean cumulative infiltration (n = 4) with increasing time. Error bars represent the least significant difference (** P = 0.01, ns = not significant).

View larger version (29K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 6. Mean sorghum grain yield (n = 3) with standard error bars for paired tillage treatments plotted by year. Asterisks denote those years with early post-planting precipitation >75 mm that may have resulted in temporary flooding and crop injury.