STEEP - Comparison of Chisel and Moldboard Plowing in a Wheat-Fallow Rotation

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Comparison of Chisel and Moldboard Plowing in a Wheat-Fallow Rotation

Charles Hemphill
with Mike Stoltz, Don Wysocki, and Dan Ball, OSU Extension

Objective

Compare crop performance and yield of two different tillage systems

Location: Pilot Rock, Umatilla County, Oregon
Annual Precipitation: 12 inches
Elevation: 1500 feet
Soil: Pilot Rock silt loam, 1 to 7% slope, soil depth is about 30 inches
Rotation: Winter wheat-fallow

Treatments

Plow - Moldboard plow, field cultivate, rodweed 3X, HZ deep furrow seed
Chisel - Chisel plow straight points, field cultivate, rodweed 3X, cheat stop inversion, HZ deep furrow seed.

Comments

This is the second crop season for this on-farm trial; it was started in 1991-1992 crop season. Plots were summer fallow in 1993. Madsen winter wheat was sown on 28 September 93 at 70 lb/ac and harvested on 26 July 1994. Downy brome pressure in all plots was moderate, cheat stop had limited control in chisel treatment. Stand establishment was good. Crop was drought-stressed in May and June. Plow treatment received 1.5 pt bronate/ac on March 29 for broadleaf weed control. Chisel treatment received only cheat stop in the fall. Plots were 40 by 400 ft. Data from both years of the trial are presented.

Data

1992 Yield (bu/ac) from 20 by 400 ft strips

Treatment Rep 1 Rep 2 Rep 3 Rep 4 Average

Plow 34.1 36.2 32.2 42.8 36.3a

Chisel 32.9 38.2 40.8 42.0 38.5a

LSD (5%) 7.2

CV 8.6%

1994 Yield (bu/ac) from 20 by 400 ft strips

Treatment Rep 1 Rep 2 Rep 3 Rep 4 Average

Plow 44.9 46.8 49.9 54.4 48.9b

Chisel 43.4 43.1 41.4 46.2 43.5a

LSD (5%) 5.3

CV 5.1%

Conclusion

The crop suffered drought stress during late spring and summer. The soil is shallow and rainfall was below normal. Timely rains helped raise yields to near average. The plow treatment had higher yields in 1994 because of deeper soil in this area of the field.

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Hans Kok, WSU/UI Extension Conservation Tillage Specialist, UI Ag Science 231, PO Box 442339, Moscow, ID 83844 USA Redesigned by Leila Styer, CAHE Computer Resource Unit; Maintained by Debbie Marsh, Dept. of Crop & Soil Sciences, WSU