Effect of tillage systems and boron spraying on some physical properties of the soil and growth and yield of wheat crop(Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the agricultural season (2021-2022) in Al-Samawah district in the Um Al-Akf region, which is (5 km from the center of Al-Muthanna Governorate). The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of tillage systems and boron spraying on some physical properties of the soil and growth and yield of wheat crop .The experiment was carried out according to the Split Block Design method, using the randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D), and with three replications. The experiment contained (36) experimental units, each area of which was 4.0 m2.Each experimental unit contained (10) lines, the Distance between one line and another was (20) cm. The experiment included two factors, the first was the tillage systems (no tillage ; reduce tillage at a depth of (10 cm) and conventional tillage at a depth of (20 cm) which occupied the vertical distribution. The second factor was the spraying of boron (0, 50, 100 and 150) mg B L-1, which occupied the horizontal distribution. Boron was sprayed at the stage of 75% flowering, and on 18/11/2021 wheat cultivar (Ibaa 99) was planted. The results of the study indicated that the conventional tillage system was significantly superior in reducing the value of bulk density, as it gave the lowest average of 1.41 mg m-3, and was also superior in increasing porosity by giving it the highest average of 46.64 %. While the no-till system was significantly superior in the characteristics of plant height, number of tillers, number of grains per spike, and grain yield, as it gave the highest averages (79.66 cm, 279.1 tillers m-2, 55.95 grains spike-1, and 3.540 ton h-1) respectively. While the Reduce tillage system was significantly superior. in the characteristic of harvest index by giving it the highest average amounted to 43.57%. As for the effect of boron, it was significant in most of the characteristics of the yield and its components, as the concentration of 150 mg B L-1 was significantly superior in the characteristic of the number of grains per spike 60.66 grains spike-1, the weight of 1000 grain 36.30 g, and the yield 3.498 ton h-1, the treatment of overlapping (Reduce tillage x 100 mg B L-1) recorded the highest average weight of 1000 grains was 38.03g