Influence of crop rotation on soil penetration resistance in the Harran Plain in Southeastern Turkey

Management practices to sustain crop yields are necessary to conserve or enhance soil quality A difference in management practices often results differences in biological, chemical and physical soil properties which in turn result in changes in functional quality of the soil. Therefore, understanding of the impact of crop rotation on soil physical processes and soil compaction is important to develop systems of sustainable management of soil and water resources in intensive agriculture. The objective of this research was to determine the effects of selected rotation systems on soil characteristics and penetration resistance of the Harran soil series, currently under dryland agriculture. Field experiments were conducted using a randomized complete block design with eighteen crop rotations and three replications between 1999 and 2000 under field conditions. The results indicated that the penetration resistance, bulk density, and porosity values of soil under different crop rotation management showed statistically significant differences. Soil bulk density and penetration resistance decreased from 1.41 to 1.32 g cm -3 and from 2700 to 1600 kPa, respectively, but porosity increased from 47.7% to 51.1% following crop rotation. Wheat + soy/lentil + corn was the most available crop rotation treatment for Harran Plain.