Effects of different tillage managements on production and yield of winter wheat in dryland

In order to select the feasible tillage technology in dry farming areas, the experiment was carried out to study the effects of different tillage managements on production and yield of winter wheat under dry farming field conditions. There were four tillage managements including once deep ploughing tillage, no tillage, subsoiling tillage and conventional tillage. The results showed that with no tillage and subsoiling tillage, form 0 cm to 40 cm soil layer, the soil water contents at the flowering stage and the filling stage increased by 4.13%, 6.23% and 5.50%, 9.27% according to conventional tillage, and the soil available nutrients content were significantly improved, all these indicated that no tillage and subsoiling tillage could provide good conditions for growth and development in the later stage of winter wheat. The no tillage and subsoiling tillage could increase the chlorophyll content and net photosynthesis rate in winter wheat flag leaf of the later filling stage, all these made leaf physiological function stronger in later growing period of winter wheat. So the filling rate, the post-anthesis biomass production and the grain yield of winter wheat with no tillage and subsoiling tillage were significantly higher than those with conventional tillage.