Abstract:

【Objective】 The objective of the experiment was to explore the effect of different conservation tillage measures combined with different fertilizer treatments on soil water conservation, grain yield and income increments in spring maize field on Weibei Highland, Shaanxi.【Method】 A two-year-field experiment was conducted to measure soil moisture in winter fallow and maize growth period with no-tillage, sub-soiling and deep plowing treatments, as well as its effects on maize yield and economic income combined with balance fertilization, traditional fertilization and no or lower fertilizer treatments were analyzed during 2007-2009. 【Result】 During winter fallow of 2 years experiment, average soil water storage amount in 0-200 cm soil layers of no-tillage and sub-soiling treatments were 33.4 mm and 31.1mm higher than deep-plowing, respectively. In maize growth period of 2 years experiment, the average soil water storage amount in 0-200 cm soil layers of no-tillage and sub-soiling treatments were 36.3mm and 37.3mm higher than deep-plowing, respectively. Maize yield and water use efficiency in treatment combination of balanced fertilization and sub-soiling were the highest among the treatments, its average yield and water use efficiency in 2 years reached 10 341.0 kg?hm-2and 24.89 kg?hm-2?mm-1, balanced fertilization and no-tillage treatment combination was in the second place, while balanced fertilization and deep-plowing treatment combination was in the third place. 【Conclusion】 With all kinds of fertilization treatments, sub-soiling tillage showed higher soil moisture conservation ability as well as higher yield and income than no-tillage and conventional tillage. So balanced fertilization and sub-soiling treatment is the most efficient treatment and should be a more suitable conservation tillage measure for spring maize cropping on Weibei Highland.

Key words: Weibei Highland')">Weibei Highland, conservation tillage, soil water storage, spring maize, yield, water use efficiency