Effect Of Tillage On Root Penetration and Grain Yield of Mexican Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grown In The Libyan Desert

Abstract

The effect of tillage practice on root penetration, grain yield and grain size of the dwarf Mexican wheat variety ‘Super X' was studied in the sandy soil of Al-Kufra desert. Compared to no-tillage, disking to 15 cm deep, disking to 30 cm deep, subsoiling to 50 cm deep and subsoiling to 70 cm deep increased root depth by 24%, 48%, 100% and 132%, respectively. Subsoiling to 70 cm deep increased the grain yield by 54% (4.65 tons/ha), compared to no-tillager treatment (3.026 tons/ha). There was an increase in grain yield of 28.5 %, 35 % and 39 % due to disking to 15 cm deep, disking to 30 cm deep and subsoiling to 50 cm deep, respectively. Grain size, as estimated by weight of 1.000 grains, showed a slight and no-significant decrease due to tillage treatments.