Effects of Tillage Methods on the Red Soil Physical Property and Maize Yield on Sloping Land

PurposeTo explore the suitability of the main tillage methods (rotary tillaging and shallow ploughing) and other farming practices (deep tillage and subsoiling) for the sloping land of limestone red soil in Yunnan Province.

MethodsThe soil bulk density, total porosity and compactness, and the agronomic traits of corn plant and yield were observed. In this study, we selected the typical sloping land with red soil developed from limestone for maize production in Yunnan Province, and conducted a two-year experiment. The experiment was designed with different tillage measures (no-tillage, rotary tillage 15 cm, tillage 20 cm, tillage 30 cm and subsoiling 30 cm). The soil bulk density, total porosity and compactness, growth and yield of maize field were measured.

ResultsCompared with conventional rotary tillage, subsoiling 30 cm significantly decreased the soil bulk density and compactness by 4.65% and 15.23% (2016), 8.21% and 14.22% (2017), respectively. But the effect of no-tillage is opposite. The maize yield in 30 cm deep was significantly higher and than that in conventional rotary tillage (2017), while the yield in no-tillage was significantly lower 14.57% than that in conventional rotary tillage (2016).

ConclusionSubsoiling can promote the growth and yield of maize in limestone sloping farmland in Yunnan Province, which are more suitable tillage measures in the experimental area.