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Tillage timing to improve soil water storage in Mediterranean long fallow

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  • Wuest, Stewart B.
  • Schillinger, William F.

Abstract

Creation of a dry soil mulch to maintain near-surface moisture in dry environments is an ancient practice that is still used in many regions of the world for timely establishment of crops after long fallow. Before availability of herbicides, the first tillage during fallow was timed to kill weeds, but now the optimum timing for tillage depends only on the interplay of evaporation and infiltration of rain. The goal is to maximize total root zone water storage and seed-zone water at seeding time. Our objective was to measure the effect of delaying soil mulch creation progressively later in the spring and summer on weed-free fallow for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the Mediterranean inland Pacific Northwest drylands of the United States. Over a period of six years and a total of 12 site-years, four to seven tillage timings were compared to an untilled treatment. Soil water was measured at seeding time in the seed zone and total root zone. Seed-zone water and total stored water produced by different tillage timings was surprisingly constant, with few statistically significant or substantial differences. On average, only 2% of stored water was lost in the top 1.0 m of soil over 80 days during the hot, dry period towards the end of fallow. Responses to late spring rain could be seen, and tillage near the end of June (early summer) often produced maximum soil water content.

Suggested Citation

  • Wuest, Stewart B. & Schillinger, William F., 2022. "Tillage timing to improve soil water storage in Mediterranean long fallow," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 272(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:272:y:2022:i:c:s0378377422003821
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107835
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Schillinger, William F. & Wuest, Stewart B., 2021. "Wheat stubble height effects on soil water capture and retention during long fallow," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    2. Cann, David J. & Hunt, James R. & Malcolm, Bill, 2020. "Long fallows can maintain whole-farm profit and reduce risk in semi-arid south-eastern Australia," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    3. Ryan W. Higginbotham & Stephen S. Jones & Arron H. Carter, 2013. "Wheat Cultivar Performance and Stability between No-Till and Conventional Tillage Systems in the Pacific Northwest of the United States," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-14, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Chao & Fletcher, Andrew & Ota, Noboru & Oliver, Yvette & Lawes, Roger, 2023. "Integrating long fallow into wheat-based cropping systems in Western Australia: Spatial pattern of yield and economic responses," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).

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