Abstract
A Field experiment was conducted in Girda Rasha, the Experimental Field of Agriculture College at 2009- 2010 to evaluate the effect of different tillage systems on some Soil physical properties and growth of Barley. Five tillage systems were applied (no tillage, Harrow disc, Chisel plough, Rotary plough, Moldboard plough). Tillage methods significantly affected soil physical properties as increase in soil moisture content, soil porosity and decrease in soil bulk density and soil penetration resistance for 0 – 15 cm and 15 – 30 cm soil layer. The highest values of moisture content were at rotary tillage (3.747%) and (6.060%) and the lowest values were at no tillage (2.577%) and (3.750%) for (0 -15 cm) and (15-30cm) depth respectively. The highest values of soil bulk density were under Moldboard tillage of 1.408 Mg. m-3 and 1.648 Mg.m-3 which were more than no tillage plots, and the lowest values were under Chisel plough 1.265 Mg.m-3 and Rotary plough of 1.537 Mg.m-3 at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm layer respectively. The highest values of soil porosity were under Chisel plough of 52.27% and at rotary plough of 42% and the lowest values were under Moldboard plough of 46.85% and 37.81% which were less than no tillage plots at 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm layers, respectively. The highest values of soil penetration resistance were under Moldboard plough 463.67 kpa and no tillage of 675.3 kpa and the lowest values were under Harrow Disc tillage of 191.0 kpa and 257.7 kpa at 0-15 cm and 15-30cm layers respectively.
The tillage methods significantly affected on the height of plant and Barley yield weight and non significant on dry mater weight and weight of 1000 grains. The heighest value of high of plant was at rotary plough of 81.67 cm and the lowest value was at no-tillage plot of 68.33 cm. The highest value of Barley yield weight was at Moldboard plough of 1.760 Mg.ha-1 and the lowest value was at no tillage of 0.743 Mg. ha-1.
Practical speed and slippage percentage response significantly to all tillage treatments. The best forward speed was at Chisel and Rotary plough of 3.88 and 3.89 Km/hr, respectively. But the worse was for Harrow Disc plough which was 3.55 km/ hr. The best value of slip percentage were at Rotary and Chisel plough of 5.34% and 5.49%, respectively, while the highest value were at Harrow Disc and Moldboard plough of 13.7% and 12.20%, respectively.