Impact of Soil Tillage Systems on Maize Productivity, Mechanization Efficiency and Economic Performance under Irrigated Conditions in South-Eastern Romania

This study evaluated the agronomic, mechanization and economic performance of maize cultivated under three soil tillage systems: conventional tillage, minimum tillage and no-tillage, under irrigated conditions in south-eastern Romania during the 2024–2025 agricultural year. The experiment was conducted on a carbonatic chernozem soil in the Poarta Albă area and involved two maize hybrids, DKC 6897 and DKC 5812, arranged in a randomized block design with farm-scale plots. Agronomic assessments included morphological traits and grain yield, while mechanization performance was evaluated through fuel consumption, number of field operations and working time per hectare. Economic analysis was based on production costs, revenues, gross profit and profitability. Climatic conditions during the study period were characterized by thermal extremes, late spring frost events and uneven precipitation distribution, highlighting the importance of irrigation and adaptive soil management.The results showed that conventional tillage ensured the highest grain yields, particularly for hybrid DKC 6897, but at the expense of increased fuel consumption and higher production costs. Minimum tillage provided a balanced compromise between yield performance and reduced operational inputs, resulting in consistently high profitability for both hybrids. Although no-tillage systems produced lower yields, their reduced mechanization intensity and lower costs led to competitive profitability levels. The findings indicate that minimum tillage represents a sustainable and economically viable alternative to conventional soil management for irrigated maize production under variable climatic conditions. Long-term studies are recommended to further assess the cumulative effects of conservation tillage systems on yield stability, soil quality and farm-level economic resilience.