Conventional tillage (CT) consumes a lot of energy and causes problems for soil and environment. Strip tillage (ST) is an
alternative method to save environment and soil structure. A complete randomized experimental design was conducted.
Two treatments with three replicates each were applied. They were T1 polwed conventionally and T2 plowed by ST. A
strip tillage prototype was fabricated. Results indicated that there was a significant difference between T1 and T2 on
SOC% and total soil N after harvest. SOC% and total soil nitrogen increased by 19.38 and 8.5% for T2 compared to T1.
Fuel consumption was less in T2 by 46.7% compared to T1. There was a significant difference between grain yield of T1
and T2. Grain yield of T1 increased by 8.04% compared to T2. Also, there was a difference between T1 and T2 in water
consumption. T2 saved about 5.75% of water compared to T1. Applying ST per one million feddan planted by maize crop
allover Egypt saves 5.76 million tons of CO2 and 18.316 million kg of N2O which contributed into greenhouse gases.
Also, T2 saves about 15.75 milion liters of fuel and 2.32 billion m3
of water per one million feddan. |
