Tillage and Nitrogen Fertilization Effect on Wheat Yield, and Soil Organic Carbon and Total Nitrogen

Abstract

Carbon sequestration and increases in soil organic matter have direct positive impacts on soil quality and fertility. This two-year study was conducted to evaluate effect of tillage (zero, minimum, conventional and deep tillage) and nitrogen fertilizer (N @ 0, 130, 160 and 190 kg ha-1) on wheat yield, carbon and nitrogen sequestration capacity, and soil organic carbon and nitrogen concentrations. The results show that tillage practices had a statistically significant effect on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen at different soil depths; soil organic carbon decreased with depth. Zero tillage treatments had a highly significant soil organic carbon than those of minimum, conventional and deep tillage treatments. Zero tillage treatments had higher soil organic carbon storage in the cultivated layer (0-15 cm) than the tillage treatments.