Effect of conservation tillage on wheat and soil nutrient distribution and absorption

Conservation tillage technology improves soil environment, reduces wind and water erosion, and mitigates sandstorm. As a mode of agricultural technology, conservation tillage is drawing more and more global attention. Agricultural soils are increasingly managed through conservation or no-tillage. The objective of this study was to identify the effects of different conservation tillage patterns on N, P, K distribution in both soil and wheat, and also on their absorption of wheat in the North China Plain. The investigated tillage patterns included no-tillage with crushed straw (NC), no-tillage with entire straw (NW), traditional tillage with crushed straw (MC) and rotary tillage with crushed straw (X). The 6-year experiment showed significant differences in soil nutrient distribution and absorption, and also in wheat distribution among different tillage patterns. Rotary tillage significantly increased organic matter, total nitrogen and available N, P, K contents in the 0~5 cm surface soil. The contents of these nutrients gradually decreased with increasing soil depth. Soil organic matter, total and available N contents were lower under rotary tillage than NC in the 20~30 cm soil layer. The contents of total N, P and K in plants under the two modes of no-tillage (NC and NW) were significantly lower than that under traditional tillage (MC) and rotary tillage (X) at seedling stage. The differences among these modes of tillage were most significant at reviving stage. At jointing and flowering stages, the differences in total N, P, K contents of plants between the non-tillage (NC and NW) and tillage (MC and X) treatments gradually dropped; and finally significantly influenced grain nutrient content.